Black, White and Shades of Gray
by sweetsarcastic
Summary: Natsume, a GrayNite, and Mikan, a cheerful optimist with a penchant for the supernatural...thrown together in a world where everything is unexpected, do they experience horror? Romance? Or... a weird mixture of both?
1. Prologue:Dusk

**Disclaimer:** Gakuen Alice and all its characters belong to Higuchi Tachibana, and since I am not her, it does not belong to me.

Well, here it is, my first fanfic! This is my first shot at writing, but I hope you enjoy it!

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Prologue

**Dusk**

_In the dark alleys, side lanes and corners of the city, living nightmares thrive………murderers, thieves, rapists, meeting any of who would change your life, and definitely not for the better. Yet these are not the most horrifying creatures that the city has to offer._

_No, the danger that lurks, hidden within plain sight, are the eternally feared and respected, _vampires.

_You can call them myths, legends or plain old stories used to scare children. But some of us believe. We know. They are there, they are watching, and they are hungry._

Yawn. I can't believe I thought this would be interesting. This is even worse than that other book, count something? Oh yea, Count Dracula. I must say, human perceptions of the Nite are bad. Want a real vampire story? Who better to ask than a real vampire?

…………………..

It might help to say please.

………………

I'm waiting.

Yes, you dimwit, I_ am_ a vampire!! Sheesh, how many more clues do you want? I practically spelt it out.

So here's my story……..

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**A/n:**Well,how was it? I know its pretty short, but I wanted it that way since its just the prologue...I'll put up the first chapter real soon so the story can start!

Comments, criticisms and general opinions are welcome.


	2. NiteFall

**Disclaimer: Incase you didn't catch it the first time, Gakuen alice and all its characters do not belong to me.**

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Chapter 1

**NiteFall**

"_What is history, but myth retold?"_

_ -Napoleon_

All right, here's the first thing about vampires is that we hate being called just that. Vampire is so positively medieval. The official name is a GrayNite, or collectively, the Nite. Never call a GrayNite vampire to the face, unless you really enjoy pain as a hobby.

Secondly, we do exist, we are real. Very much so. Just not in the way you think.

I supposed at this point, a little Nite History might be useful. I'll try to lessen the boredom as much as I can.

See, centuries ago, vampires existed in every sense of the word as you know it. They lived in scary castles, had hideously long incisors and periodically preyed upon the blood of sweet little maidens, or in the case of a vampiress, sweet little boys. However, I seriously doubt they had the powers of metamorphosis, so the entire bat thingy is just another figment of the romantic human imagination.

During the Dark Ages, the pinnacle of their reign, they did posses the extraordinary talent of Shadowmelt. Which might have been useful in the whole preying on humans thing.

That period was called dark ages for a reason. For humans, it was a 50 year long nightmare, during which they were hunted mercilessly by the Nite, either for sustenance or for sport. With their super human strength, intelligence and dark powers, the Nite practically became the dominant species. Alas, for it was short, sweet, and fleeting, just like a good dream.

For all things that prosper must decay, even if they are undead.

The human's might have only one strength, but it was enough. Their sheer numbers, along with their tendency to lash out as a mob when cornered, was what destroyed the Nite rule. .

It started suddenly, like all revolts do, and before you could blink, in a matter of a few years, the Nite were defeated.

For among the hordes that gathered to attack, there were a few that truly posed threat. They were nature's deceit, the Nullifiers.

Humans, born with special powers seemingly designed for the very purpose of defeating the Nite. Immune to hypnosis, with the power to nullify even the Shadowmelt, they matched the Nite in strength and cunning.

Now, please don't go all dramatic on me. No, they did NOT use stakes to kill us. Seriously, where do humans get such ideas? Driving a stake through a heart is sick, even for a GrayNite. And believe me, though the Nite might not have been inclined to personal hygiene back then, but holy water had no effect on them. And the only way garlic was fatal was is it was on your breath.

Crossing water bodies without a coffin is only a problem because Nite derived their powers from the Earth, opponent of Water. This is why they also had to have some of their native soil in their coffin.

And sure, crosses might turn the Nite paler than they already were, but that was only because it was _their _symbol_._

The nullifiers had one card in their hand which manages to make the Nite shudder even today. The Unbecoming.

Their ultimate weapon, the power to reverse the BloodMagic running through a GrayNite's veins. The power to turn them mortal, and consequently make them age the many years they had existed in a few seconds. To feel pain again. A nightmare for the true nightmares of the Dark.

So the Nite were defeated, but destroyed? Certainly not. It takes a lot to terminate an entire species.

The few Nite who managed to survive did what vampires do best and sunk into the shadows. Hidden, forgotten, but never forgiving, they led seemingly normal human lives, mingled with humans and thus produced an entire generation of half-bloods.

This is when the official terms GrayNite and Nite were coined. They had lost their ability of Shadowmelt, their superhuman strenght, their evil laugh and awful Transylvanian accent. Though I must say, the last two were extremely fortunate occurrences.

However, their thirst for vengeance remained unquenched, so to speak. For their nemesis had disappeared, having tortured the Nite to their heart's content.

So the Nite formed a council, spread throughout the world, and tried to resign themselves to the fact that they had to survive in a human dominated world. They have lived, degraded from their former glory...until now.

One GrayNite was born, and seemed to have transcended time. He had the power the Nite of the old possessed.

Before I continue praising myself in third narration, that he is me. I'm forced to narrate this tale as your ignorance is Very irritating. Not to mention, stupidity is contagious, so I should try to eradicate it as much as possible.

My name is Natsume Hyuuga . And as a creature of the dark I have only one thing to tell you-

True hell goes by the name of High School.

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**A/N:**Ah, now the story has officialy started. This is basically an intro chapter, but definitely my favourite. oh, and unless there are any unforseen delays, I should update in a week.

Comments, criticisms, corrections are all welcome.


	3. Jumpstart

**DISCAIMER: Gakuen Alice and its characters do not belong to me. I could never create someone as hot as Natsume-kun :p**

**AS of 3/2/09** - Revised

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**Chapter 2**

**Jumpstart**

I heaved a sigh and then grinned happily, glad to have finally made it to Tokyo. A brand new city filled with new sights and people. I had a good feeling about this place.

Oh no, I forgot to introduce myself! Please forgive me. My name is Mikan Sakura, aged 16 years.

Until recently I was living with my Grandpa in Kyoto prefecture. However, my grandpa passed away a week ago. I don't have any other relatives, so my custody passed to a board of people who run a wide chain of companies. Apparently, my mother had set it all up before she passed away. I had to move to Tokyo to join a school run by that board.

So here I am in this big, big city. It's seriously huge. Anyone could get lost in it. Like me. Sheesh, and after I read the map so carefully too!

Let's see... I'm standing on a deserted road.... and there's no sign of life. Oh, there's a humungous house, almost like a mini palace, at the end of the road. Is that the school?

Suddenly there was this big explosion at that house. I screamed in terror and started running blindly in the opposite direction. No way, am I going to a school populated by terrorists!!

I took a right turn into a dark side alley. Just as I thought I was safe, someone grabbed me from behind. Was the lord trying to give me a heart attack at the age of 16?

I screamed again and _it_ clamped a hand over my mouth. "Stop making so much noise, you", growled a low, _male_ voice.

Panic seized me. What was I going to do?!

Ok, calm down, Mikan. I tried to remember the self-defense tips Hotaru had taught me. Hoping that it worked I gathered all my strength and simultaneously stepped on his foot and elbowed him in the stomach, hard enough to hurt.

My captor didn't even twitch. What was I supposed to do now?!

In midst of my panic attack I noticed a man pass the alley. All I could see was that he was some sort of weirdo wearing a white mask and lots of jewelry, but at this point I was desperate. Just as I was going to try and get his attention, my captor removed his hand, grabbed me by my shoulders and turned me around.

It was a boy who seemed to be my age, taller with black hair. I looked up and noticed his eyes for the first time. As I looked into them, they seemed to turn an impossible shade of blood red.

His gaze seemed to pierce through me, and when he spoke, his voice sounded.... queer.

"You did not come into this alley and meet me. You did not witness anything unusual. Is that clear?"

Huh? What was he, delusional?

"What are you talking about? You're standing right in front of me. Of course I met you", I babbled, thoroughly creeped out by his eyes.

Instantly his eyes lost the red shade and seemed to widen a little. He looked down intently at me.

He opened his mouth to say something, when to my utter surprise a blond man bent down and_ kissed_ him on the cheek.

Where had he come from?!?

This day couldn't get any weirder.

The boy seemed to faint and slumped to the ground. I couldn't move as my brain was still trying to comprehend what it had seen.

"Excuse me Miss, by any chance are you Mikan Sakura?" The blond man with purple eyes asked.

I jerked back to my senses. "How do you know my name?" I asked.

"Ah Mikan-chan, it's so good to finally meet you! I'm Narumi, you're temporary guardian and new teacher. Welcome to Tokyo!" he exclaimed.

Relief at meeting a reliable authority figure flooded me. "Oh, Narumi-sensei", I said, anxious to gain some sort of comfort," It was so bad! There was this explosion and this person grabbed me from behind and started saying weird stuff like 'you won't remember anything' and staring into my eyes and actually expecting me to forget...." I trailed off as I noticed Narumi sensei beaming at me. "What?" I asked defensively.

"Oh, nothing at all. Anyway, Mikan-chan, you were supposed to meet me at the school! That's three lanes away, you know. Come on, let's get to the school so we can discuss your position."

Grabbing my bag, he started walking away. "Wait a minute, what about him?" I asked turning around to look at the mysterious boy, just to find him missing. "Where'd he go?!" I frantically looked around, not having heard him leaving.

" Don't get left behind!" called Narumi-sensei, already at the end of the lane.

"Ah, wait for me!" I ran after him, leaving behind all thoughts of strange boys and red eyes.

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"Darn you, Hotaru!" I cried as I ran through the halls. In case you're wondering why I was cursing my best friend while speeding along the halls of Alice Academy, a little recap might be helpful.

"_Well, Mikan-chan, as you know, your responsibility and guardianship has now passed to the Midnight council, according to the papers signed by you, your mother and your previous guardian," Narumi-sensei said as he passed me a cup of tea in the academy's visiting room. _

_I nodded, while silently wondering which strange company board called itself Midnight. _

"_As part of that agreement, you have been enrolled into the Alice Academy, a highly reputed school run by the council." He continued, "There are a few things we need to discuss about your eligibility to join the school, but that can be done later."_

" _Here's your uniform!" He handed me a black long-sleeved jacket, a white shirt and a golden mini-skirt with checks. It was so stylish. I was starting to get excited about my new school._

" _You have been assigned to Class 2, section B. The class president should be here soon to show you to your class room." He said, just as someone knocked on the door._

_I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw who had come in. It was Hotaru, my best friend in the entire universe and the person most important to me. "Hotaru!!" I cried, launching myself at her._

_And of course, she neatly dodged to one side, leaving me in the dust. "What are you doing here idiot? Are you stalking me?" she asked emotionlessly, stoic as ever._

"_Jeez Hotaru, is that the sort of thing to say to your best friend when you meet them after a year?" I asked rubbing my head." And what are _you_ doing here? You just suddenly disappeared a year ago without a word. Even your parents refused to tell me where you went. Do you know how worried I was?"_

"_Uh, I hate to break up this lovely reunion, but your class starts in fifteen minutes Mikan-chan. I think you should hurry." Narumi sensei said._

"_What?!" I didn't want to be late on my first day. "Come on Hotaru, you can show me the way" I turned, only to find that she was no longer there._

So there it is. I can't believe she left me to find class on my own. Now I was really going to be late.

I bounded up a staircase taking two at a time, only to bump into something on top of the stairs.

" Arrgh!!" I shrieked, as I lost my balance and started falling backwards, arms flailing and everything flying. Suddenly a pair of arms caught me around the waist and pulled me upright again.

Taking deep breaths to calm myself, I looked up at my savior. It was a boy with black hair, wearing the weirdest masks. It was shaped like the face of a black cat, and covered his entire face.

"Thanks for saving me!" I beamed at him. He started walking away without a word. Hmph, he could at least acknowledge my thanks!

Then I remembered something. "Hey, wait up!" I cried, running to catch up with him." Could you please tell me the way to Class B?"

He stopped and turned to me." Why would I bother to that, little girl? You could go to hell for all I care."

What??

"There's no need to be so rude! And I'm not a little girl!!" I said.

"Anyone who wears pigtails and polka dots in high school is a little girl, Little girl" he said, and started walking away.

Polka dots?? What? Oh my god.... don't tell me he saw.... while I was falling... My skirt....

"AARRGGHH!!! You PERVERT!"

This was not how had imagined the start of my new school.

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A/N- This one was Mikan-chan's POV.... Please tell me how you liked it!


	4. Casting Shadows

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**Disclaimer:** I'm just writing a fanfic here folks. That basically means that none of these characters belong to me.

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**Chapter 3**

**Casting Shadows**

So there I was, in the one place on earth that I hated more than anything else. School. I loathed everything about the place. The stupid confined classroom, all the chattering idiots, the stuck up teachers trying order me around (unsuccessfully, of course), the annoying fan girls who just won't stop staring at me.... aren't those reason enough?

So it's understandable that I was skipping class. The only use I had for school was that it provided almost unlimited victims for Sustenance. And no, I am not talking about enticing innocent high school girls into dark corners and sucking their blood. I may have the full powers of a vampire, but I thankfully do not have to resort to that. The boon of evolution has granted me the Sustenance.

Nite whose BloodMagic was stronger than usual found that they can derive their energy from two means- Eating human food and the Sustenance. The latter involves a BloodMagic procedure which enables the GrayNite to literally draw pure energy from a victim's body, a much more effective method than sucking blood.

Anyway, back to me, skipping class. I was resting on a comfortable branch of a sakura tree on the school grounds as the sun set, thinking about the events that had taken place that morning.

You know, one would think that being born with the full powers of vampires of the old and still blessed by evolution would make me as lucky as being born a prince or something. Unfortunately all that power came with its share of weaknesses. And one jerk named Persona.

I mulled over why my escape plan that morning didn't work. Probably because it was morning. I always knew that stupid time was cursed.

The explosion went of as planned. I had even managed to lose Persona for a moment. But then I met that annoyingly noisy girl. Figures that a human would mess everything up. What was she doing there anyway?

And then there was Narumi. Oh, he was going to suffer for what he did to me, that freak.

Suddenly my peace was shattered by an infuriatingly loud voice.

"HOTARU! Wait for me!" shrieked the voice. I glanced down, wondering who it was, since I had made it clear to the entire school that they should stay away from this tree, for their own safety.

I watched as Imai walked towards my tree, along with another girl. The same girl I had the misfortune to meet this morning. What was she doing here?

I leaned forward to hear what they were saying.

"Hotaru, you meanie! First you leave me to find my way to class all alone, and then you ignore me all day! Aren't you happy to see your best friend at all?" the girl whined.

Best friends? Imai and her? Talk about opposites.

"Idiot. Why would I want to be associated with you when you're being so noisy?" Imai uttered tonelessly. "Besides, you still haven't answered my question. What are you doing here?"

I studied the girl as I waited for her answer.

She looked like an ordinary human girl, with long, toffee colored hair and olive eyes. Even her Aura did not seem disturbingly different.

And yet....

"I told you, I've just joined Alice Academy for my studies!" Her face took on a dreamy look and a stupid smile." And now we can spend all our time together again. Just like old times!"

BAKA BAKA

Imai had just whipped out a gun and shot the little girl twice. The woman was freaky. Though I can't say I don't approve. That stupid smile should be banned.

"Take that stupid expression off your face," she commanded.

"OUCH! What was that?!"

"My Baka gun. Designed to specifically eliminate idiots. Like you."

"Trying to understand you is way too hard, Hotaru." The Little Girl sighed.

"Get back to the original point. So you passed the entrance exam to the academy?" Imai asked skeptically.

"Huh, what entrance exam?" Pigtails looked confused." I've been enrolled here by my new guardians."

No way. There was only one possibility of that happening. And I did not like it.

Imai narrowed her eyes. On anyone else, I would have called it confusion. "Why her...." she muttered, so low that no one besides me would have heard it.

That's it. It was time I took matters into my own hands.

I swung of the branch and landed on my feet, in front of those two.

Pigtails gasped in surprise. "You!" she yelled, pointing at......me. Duh. "You're the one who tried to attack me this morning!"

Oh, she definitely remembered me. Which was not normal, and was definitely not a good thing.

"Well, well, If it isn't Polka Dots" I said nonchalantly, causing the expression of shock on her face to deepen.

"_You were that masked guy too_!! I can't believe this. You pervert!! Apologize right now!!" she demanded.

I raised an eyebrow." Apologize for what? Saving you from falling down the stairs and breaking you neck?" Typical human ungratefulness.

"Why you..."

"Mikan-chan!" trilled a voice from a distance.

The voice just caused my anger, which was already bad thanks to Polka Dots remembering me, to double.

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you." Narumi said to Polka, not noticing me.

So. She was involved with Narumi too. This just kept getting better and better.

It was time for my revenge.

I stepped out of the shadows. "Narumi." I said, my voice laced with fury and menace.

"Oh Natsume-kun. You're here too? Perfect." The weirdo said, completely unruffled.

"I'm going to make you suffer for this morning, you freak. I told you never to touch me!" I growled. I held out my palm, and a fireball burst to life.

Like I said- the powers of evolution. Thanks to the strong BloodMagic running through my veins, I also had the ability to create and manipulate Fire, the only ally of Earth. It was a very useful thing to have, especially when I felt like incinerating freaks that couldn't respect personal space.

"Now, now Natsume-kun, can't we just talk this over peacefully?" Narumi asked tentatively.

I just snarled in response and threw the fireball at him. He disappeared in the smoke of the explosion that followed. The next thing I knew, the sly fox was next to me. He clamped his hand over my mouth and managed to knock me out.

Damn him.

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"Narumi-sensei!" I cried, unable to see him through the smoke of the explosion. What was going on here? First that weird kidnapper/ Pervert lands out of nowhere insults me, and then attacks Narumi-sensei! And did I really see him create a fireball in his hand? I rubbed my eyes. But, if it was a hallucination, where did the explosion come from?

There was a sudden coughing noise as Narumi sensei came into view.

"You all right Mikan-chan, Hotaru-san?" he asked.

"Yes, but what about you, Narumi-sensei? And who is that boy anyway?" I asked frantically.

Narumi-sensei brightened as he answered, "Where are my manners? Allow me to introduce you two. Mikan Sakura, meet Natsume Hyuuga, your fiancé."

....................

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MY WHAT???!!!!!

"Uh, sensei, I think I didn't hear you properly just now. _What_ did you call him?" I asked, hoping my ears had just developed severe blockage.

"Natsume Hyuuga"

"No, after that"

"Um, your fiancé?"

"How could he be my fiancé? I just met him!" I practically yelled. There had to be a mistake somewhere!

"Oh, dear. But Mikan-chan, don't you remember? You were the one who agreed to an engagement to the Midnight Council's ward! It was a part of the deal you have with the Council, in return for their custody and care. You signed the papers yourself last week!"

Papers?

I tried to think back to the time Grandpa had passed away. I was pretty messed up, and I didn't really understand what all those papers were about. Usually Hotaru helped me with such stuff, but she was gone. So I had just signed everything. It all had to be about legal guardianship and such boring stuff, right?

Apparently, IT WAS ALSO ABOUT GETTING ENGAGED TO A WIERD PERVERT!!!

"Idiot" said Hotaru, gathering the gist from my face, which had waterfalls of tears streaming down it.

"My life is ruined! I'm engaged to a pervert! Oh Hotaru!" I turned to her for comfort, only to be shot down by that Baka gun.

"Hey, Little Girl." snarled a voice from behind.

I stiffened and slowly turned around. I had forgotten about him in my unhappiness.

He slowly advanced towards me, with a really scary look on his face. I whimpered and backed away until I hit the Sakura tree. He stopped only a few inches away from me, and I looked into his eyes. They were not the blood red I thought I remembered, but more of crimson, like rust.

And so very, very cold. My insides seemed to shrivel.

"You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into, do you Pigtails?" he asked mockingly. "Do you know who you agreed to marry? Or what?"

With that he stepped back a little and held out his arms. I sucked in my breath as his eyes turned blood red again. Then I saw the most horrifying sight of my life.

His nails extended into claws at least six inches long, and his hair grew long enough to touch his shoulders. He opened his mouth to snarl silently at me, and then I noticed the fangs.

He was a...Natsume was a....

"Your worst nightmare has begun" He informed me." From now on, your life is going to be your personal horror movie. Believe me, you're going to regret signing those papers."

With that, he jumped up onto a tree branch with inhuman strength, and disappeared among the shadows.

"Uh, Mikan-chan..." Narumi sensei said as he tried to break the silence that followed.

I didn't hear him as I stared at the spot Natsume had stood moments before, and it finally hit me.

I wasn't just engaged to a Pervert or a Weirdo.

My fiancé was a Vampire.

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	5. The Dark Side

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Disclaimer

- If you're looking to sue me, well you cant :p Cuz I don't claim to own Gakuen Alice and its characters.

**A/N**_- To anyone waiting for this chapter- I'm really sorry! I know its terribly late... but my life's really hectic right now. Its my final year of school and I'm being forced to study for insane amounts of time. My imagination just crumbled. Hopefully, I'll be a bit faster from now on. Its still going to be slow though..._

_Anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!_:D

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**Chapter four**

**The Dark Side**

_His nails extended into claws at least six inches long, and his hair grew long enough to touch his shoulders. He opened his mouth to snarl silently at me, and then I noticed the fangs._

_He was a...Natsume was a..._

"_Your worst nightmare has begun." He informed me. " From now on, your life is going to be your personal horror movie. Believe me, you're going to regret signing those papers."_

_With that, he jumped up onto a tree branch with inhuman strength, and disappeared among the shadows._

_My fiancé was a Vampire._

I was still staring in the direction he had left. My mouth was wide open with shock as realization hit me. I didn't even react as Narumi sensei gently took hold of me by the shoulders and steered me towards a tea table. He made me sit down and then started pouring tea into cups for himself, Hotaru and me.

"Shut your mouth already, Mikan. You're drooling." Hotaru said coldly.

"Now Mikan-chan, I'm sure all this must be a great shock to you, but I can explain." Narumi sensei began." Of course, I never expected you to find out about the Nite so soon, or so abruptly, but Natsume's always been so unpredictable..." he muttered.

"The Nite?" I repeated faintly, as my brain struggled to start up again.

Narumi sensei hesitated before asking, "Mikan-chan, have you ever heard of creatures called vampires?"

I brightened as I answered, "Of course! They're my favorite creatures of the dark!"

Narumi sensei blinked at me. " You_ like_ them?"

"Her grandfather used to tell her all sorts of horror stories as a kid. Her entire family's weird that way." Hotaru said.

"Well, what if I told you that they were real? And that they actually exist?" Narumi sensei asked.

Now it was my turn to blink in surprise." Who, vampires? You're saying they aren't just stories?"

Hotaru rolled her eyes as Narumi sensei nodded.

"Wow!! But how do you know that? Have you ever met one? Are they really scary?" I asked rapidly with stars in my eyes as they sweat dropped at my excitement.

"Baka, you just met one yourself, you know." Hotaru reminded me.

"Actually it's a bit different..." Narumi sensei said and then explained to me that vampires really had existed and did even today. They formed a council, and lived among humans...

"And you see Alice academy, besides being a 'normal' high school for geniuses also is the hide out and training ground for most of the younger Nite descendants, like Hotaru-san." He finished.

I turned to Hotaru, my eyes wider than saucers. "You're a vampire?" I asked, my voice going from astonishment to excitement in the same sentence.

She sighed." No I'm not. I've just descended from them. My ancestors were vampires who married humans. In other words, every one in my family is a GrayNite.Thats why I was called to the academy and my parents wouldn't tell you where I had gone."

"Whoa, so you're part vampire? No wonder you're so cold all the time!"

"Also, her lineage has granted Hotaru-san a great amount of mental capabilities. She's youngest and most resourceful inventor the world has seen for quite some time." Narumi sensei told me.

" Wow, Hotaru! I always knew you were amazing!!"

"Whatever." she muttered.

"Mikan-chan" Narumi sensei said. His urgent tone caught my attention. "Remember when I said there were certain, ahem, conditions involved in your stay here?"

"Conditions? But why? The council's in charge of me right? And," I continued, thinking hard, "What's the deal with me being engaged to a vampire? Me, a mere human? It's just too weird!!"

"Well, Mikan-chan, as you have learnt now, the Midnight council is very important. They are like our Government. So they wouldn't just take on the guardianship of any person. So as a sort of guarantee, they had you engaged to Natsume-kun. Also, there is one more clause." He said.

"You will be staying with Natsume-kun in his lodgings, and for one week he will monitor you. If at the end of the week, Natsume-kun is satisfied with you, then you will be allowed to stay on in Alice Academy." Narumi sensei said happily.

"WHAT? I have to Live with that pervert?? WHY?!" I cried.

"Now Mikan-chan, you'll just be staying in the same house with him, that's all. It won't be so bad."

I sighed. "I don't think I'm going to enjoy it. But if it means I can go to the same school as Hotaru, I guess I'll try."

"That's the spirit!! Now why don't you and Hotaru-san go and pick up your luggage?" Sensei suggested.

"Right!" I said, and skipped off happily after Hotaru, who was, of course, already gone.

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This was just wonderful. As if it wasn't enough that that eternally damned Council was taking sadistic pleasure in torturing me, I wasn't helping my case either. I totally lost my temper and revealed my true form to that Girl. Way to go Natsume. Persona was sure to come calling. And it was all that Idiot's fault. _Again_.

Not that you can blame me. What would you do if you suddenly were informed that you're _engaged?_ What was that _council _thinking anyway? I had an inkling they might use me like a breeding stock; I did have strong BloodMagic after all. But what was the point of engaging me to a human girl? Unless...she wasn't human at all...

I spotted Naru up ahead sitting at a tea table. I strode up to him. "Natsume-kun!" He sounded delighted to see me. Freak. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Is anyone going to explain to me what the hell is happening around here?" I demanded.

"Why of course." He replied calmly. "Please sit down. We don't have much time before your least favorite person finds you again, do we?"

I glared at him and remained standing.

"Anyway, about Mikan-chan" he went on, his obvious delight increasing with every word. "The council has decided that she's to be your fiancée. Personally I think you both make a very cute couple! It's an interesting match..."

"Shut up or I'll make u." I growled, as the air around me heated up due to my Fire," And why in the name of this insane world have I been engaged to her?" I didn't even bother mentioning my consent. As if that had ever mattered.

"I'm sure that the council has their reasons. I suggest you bear with it for now." He said with a weird smile." Oh, and one more thing. There's a task for you. The council wants you to monitor Mikan-chan for the next one week. The extension of her stay will be decided on basis of your report. However, the council will know if you are giving a false report. They have their ways, as you very well know."

So now I had to baby-sit too? "Hey Naru" I said as he got up to leave," Is she the same as you?"

His face had a serious expression for once." Who knows? We may be very similar." He seemed to be talking to himself rather than me.

I took off in the opposite direction. I started thinking about having to watch the Little Girl for a week. So her stay depended on my report, did it? That could be fun...

"Hyuuga-san." I turned to find Imai staring at me from under a tree.

"Imai." I replied neutrally. We studied each other for a few moments. She was one of the few people in the Academy who didn't bother me.

She seemed sensible and intelligent and was also a GrayNite of strong Lineage. I supposed I respected her in a way. This meant I could think of nothing to say, seeing as me respecting someone is rare enough. But then I remembered that she was Pigtail's friend.

"Hyuuga" she said just then, impassive as ever. I grew wary. What happened to Hyuuga-san?"It's not something I do on a regular basis, so listen up. I came to warn you."

"Please," I scoffed" Don't tell me you're here to give me the typical friend's warning. _You'd better treat my friend nicely or else. _I'd expect you of all people, Imai, to have refrained from such melodrama."

Her eyes glinted dangerously for a moment as she seemed to finger her Baka-Gun. "No, Hyuuga, I'm not warning you out of concern for my best friend. I came to warn _you_, for your own safety."

This put me off a bit. Should have known Imai was anything but typical. Also it piqued my curiosity. Why the hell was I in any sort of danger?

I asked her as much.

She gave me an unreadable look before saying quietly," That girl is unlike any you've met before, Hyuuga. If you like who you are, you'd stay away. She has the power to change people. She can change the way you look at the world. Oh yes, you would be smart to not get too close to her."

And with that cryptic message, she turned and sped off on her scooter.

I've heard and seen a lot of strange things in my existence as a GrayNite in the modern world. Weirdness has taken a sense of normalcy for me. But I swear it just does not get easier with time.

So I was supposed to be careful of the Little girl? Who was she anyway? To have the council take care of her, and Imai as her best friend...

There was definitely more to Polka than met the eye.

* * *

"Ne, Hotaru, where do you stay?" I asked her as we both exited the building where our classes were held.

"In my room in the Academy's dormitory, of course." she replied.

"Oh, so you don't have a roommate?" I asked excitedly." Then I can stay with you!" I practically floated of the ground in happiness.

"Idiot. You can't, remember? You have to stay with Hyuuga-san."

The realization made me fall abruptly. But I was back up in no time, wailing." I can't believe I have to stay with him! Not only is he a weirdo and a pervert, but he's a vampire for heavens sake! What am I supposed to do? And I told Narumi sensei I'd try..."

Hotaru sighed. "Listen to me Mikan," she said in a serious tone. "I don't know why the Council has decided to take up your guardianship, or stick you to Hyuuga-san. However, under the circumstances, you have no choice. You have to listen to them now. Until you come of age, you're stuck."

I looked down glumly. "I suppose you're right."

"Oh, and if you don't want to sleep outside tonight, I suggest you hurry. I can see Hyuuga-san leaving."

"Oh, No!" I looked up to see him disappearing in the horizon." See you tomorrow Hotaru!" I hollered as I rushed to catch up with him.

"Hey Natsume, wait up!!" I called to him. He didn't stop or even slow down, but I knew he heard me from the way his back stiffened for a moment. Jerk.

By the time I caught up with him, we'd already passed three lanes and were climbing a hilltop. I was panting due to the exertion while he just stood there casually.

As I tried to get my breath back, I looked at him from the corner of my eyes. I hadn't really taken in his appearance before. He had an a face which could only be described as beautiful, the kind that was so striking that it was a wonder I didn't notice it before.

Tall and lean, he appeared graceful even standing still. He was unnaturally pale, like the stories said, in complete contrast to his dark hair, which fell untidily over his eyes. The same crimson eyes he was now giving me a death glare with.

"Aargh!" I shrieked, and immediately curled into a defensive posture with my hands covering my neck. "Please don't drink my blood!! Stay away!"

I heard a snort of derision and looked up in surprise. "I don't drink blood." He said in a tone of utmost revulsion. "Besides," he smirked, "you have nothing to worry about Polka. I have better taste then _that_."

I don't know why the idea of him not wanting my blood was insulting, but it made my blood boil. "Why you..." I muttered. I took a few deep calming breaths before asking stiffly," Where is your house?"

"It's right in front of you."

I looked up to see the same huge house I'd come to in the morning, and mistaken for the school. The same place where the explosion had taken place. He lived _there_?

"Sugoi!!" I exclaimed still staring at the mini palace.

"Hn" Natsume said, and walked ahead.

"So you live in a huge house on top of a hill. Nothing less from a vampire!" I said. Oh well, at least I couldn't complain about living an ordinary life.

"Don't call me that." Natsume said through gritted teeth.

"What?"

"Vampire. I'm not a Vampire. I am a GrayNite."

I blinked at him and tilted my head to one side.

He glared at me and said," And if you want to convince me you're worth keeping, Polka, you better start by remembering that." With that, he strode through the archway to the house.

I gulped. Looks like I was in for a hard time. Squaring my shoulders, I walked in after him.

* * *

_Please leave a review!_


	6. MoonBeam

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**Disclaimer:- _reads of a prompt card_- I-don't- own-gakuen-alice? Hey! No need to rub it in!**

**A/N- A warm thank you to all those wonderful people who reviewed my story!**

**-drumroll- And heeeres chapter 5!! -canned applause-**

REVISED as of 16/2/09

**

* * *

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**Chapter 5**

**Moonbeam**

I relaxed a little as I walked into.... well, I suppose you could call it my home. It was just the way I liked it. Dark, peaceful and quiet.... and no, it didn't have sweeping staircases, hidden doors, cobwebs or underground torture chambers. This was a modern day villa, not some medieval fortress. Though a torture chamber would have been useful. Imai could be the torturer...she'd feel right at home there.

"SUGOI!!!"

I winced as that annoying voice sliced through the silence and pushed its way through my weird musings.

"It's so huge.... and so beautifully decorated.... I didn't expect it to be so modern though! Ooh, look at that statute! And that...that…whatever that is! And I wonder what that object is?..."

I took a deep breath and scowled. I reminded myself that it was not wise to kill her.... the Council would certainly not be pleased.

"AArgh!!!"

I smirked lazily. I said wouldn't kill her, but I never said I would play nice, did I?

I opened my eyes to see her frantically patting one of her pigtails with a cushion.

"My hair! My hair! It just caught fire! Help! Call the fire brigade! Call the police! Call a priest! Call an elephant with water up its nose, I don't care, just do something! NAATTSUMEE!!"

My smirk widened as she looked at me. What can I say? I'm a sadist. Must have something to do with being a GrayNite.

Comprehension dawned on her slowly. She stopped bawling, at least. "You...you burnt my hair!" she accused.

"Guilty as charged." I said smoothly. "You deserved it for being so noisy. Now shut up and follow me, Idiot Girl."

She looked ready to kill me. I walked on, careful to keep my expression smooth. Who knew this was going to be so much fun?

We walked up at least five flights of stairs. Pigtails was out of breath the entire way. I thought people from the country were supposed to be fit?

Finally, we reached the attic. I pushed open a creaky wooden door that opened up into a small dingy room, with a musty cot in the corner and a small window as its only ventilation. Perfect.

"This is your room."

She was quiet for a moment as she took in her cramped new accommodation. Just a moment though.

"Ehh?? What do you mean my room? You want me to live here? In this tiny hole?" she said disbelievingly.

"Oh, I didn't know you preferred wide open spaces. Perhaps the _street_ would be more to your liking?" I said coolly.

"But this house is huge! There have to be about a million rooms in here! Why can't I stay in one of those?"

"Because I say so. And you know what? For a week, my word is law." My eyes flashed as I told her.

"Now, as you've just arrived, I suppose I can be considerate and let you off your chores for today. However, I want to you to start on them first thing tomorrow."

"Chores?! What chores?"

"The chores around the house, Pigtails. Here's the list."

"Why do I need to do you chores? Don't you have a maid or something?" She asked, staring in horror at the long list I had handed her.

"Of course I have a maid. I'm looking at her." And with that I stalked out and slammed the door in her shocked face. A couple of spiders got dislodged from the roof.

I smiled with grim satisfaction. That should take care of her. Let's see how long she and her stupid smile can last.

* * *

By the time I crawled into my hard wooden bed, in my dusty, creaky room, I was completely miserable. I knew life in a new city without Grandpa was going to be hard, but I never expected this. The entire day seemed like forever. Being assaulted by Natsume, meeting Narumi-sensei and Hotaru, learning about the Nite, the Midnight Council, and worst of all, being engaged to Natsume.... it was overwhelming. Tears started to form in my eyes.

And Natsume. Why was he so mean to me? I didn't get what his problem was. It's not like I wanted to be his fiancée. This was just as bad for me. Here I was, stuck playing maidservant to an arrogant creature of the dark, in a dusty room, and unable to even talk to my only best friend in the whole wide world...

Hotaru. I wonder what she's doing right now. If she saw me, what would she say? And Grandpa?

A tear rolled down my cheek as I thought of Grandpa. I missed him....

Hotaru would probably call me an idiot. And tell me there was no point being depressed and weepy. Grandpa... he would say that that he was ashamed of me. That he thought he had taught me better than to sit in a corner and cry. That I should fight my problems.

That's right. They're absolutely right! There's no point in being sad. Things could be a lot worse. I at least have a roof above my head, a school to attend, and Hotaru. If I work hard things will surely improve!

I nodded to myself, hand clenched in determination. Everything would get better if I try!

But Natsume.... I sighed. The situation with him seemed hopeless.

Just then, I heard a noise that startled me out of my thoughts. I jumped out of my bed and opened the only window in this god-forsaken room, and stuck my head out.

If I looked to the right, I could see the roof of one section of the house, a little lower than the attic.

I couldn't see anything there, but for some reason I felt someone.

Suddenly, the clouds shifted, and moonlight drenched the rooftop, illuminating Natsume.

I was surprised. Shouldn't he be off swooping through the night, looking for someone to feed on?

Oh, wait, he said he didn't drink blood. Hmph, what kind of vampire was he?

But I certainly didn't think he was the type to sit on rooftops on quiet nights, enjoying the moonlight.

He was sitting under the hanging branches of a tall Sakura tree. The branches cast shadows on him, shifting with the breeze, as was his hair. Stretched languidly, he looked perfect in the moonlight. That is, until the moon hid again, and he turned in my direction.

My breath caught. His eyes were blood red again, and glowed in the darkness, shining with whatever light they could gather from the shadows. They seemed...liquid.

And though it seemed impossible that I could notice anything besides their unnatural color, his eyes seemed cold to me. Cold and filled with pain. But then I blinked and the impression was gone.

Abruptly I realized he was looking in my direction. Drat! Stifling a squeak, I ducked back in and held my breath, afraid to even move back to my bed.

I stayed still for a minute, and then sighed in relief. He hadn't noticed. But then I stiffened again, as I heard a new sound. A meow.

I flung my head out once more. A small black kitten had just fallen of a branch, straight into Natsume's lap.

Oh no! The poor kitty cat! Get away kitty, he's dangerous! He could hurt you!

My frantic but silent pleading ended when I heard Natsume speak. Softly, but the wind carried his voice towards me.

"Back again, huh."

It was more of a statement then a question. He was talking to the cat?

"Well, I suppose you're hungry. Luckily for you, I've got some milk with me. Dunno why I bothered though." The last bit was grumbled to himself. He poured some milk into the saucer and let the cat lap it up.

I was paralyzed in shock. My eyes remained glued on him, as he started stroking the cat.

They remained like that for a few minutes, cat and vampire, in peaceful companionship. Then Natsume sighed, the cat stretched, and both got up and left in opposite directions.

I slowly made my way back to the rickety cot, my mind wrapped up in what I had just seen. After listening to horror stories all my life, I thought I knew all about vampires. But Natsume was breaking every rule of the undead I had ever heard. I had just seen a side of him that was so unconventional that it startled me. He had just been _kind_ to a cat. Kind to a _cat_! Weren't animals supposed to hate creatures of the dark?

And Natsume! Being kind. He had actually brought milk for the kitty. I didn't know he had it in him.

Could someone who was so kind to an animal really be so mean?

Maybe I shouldn't judge Natsume just because he was a vampire.

I yawned, my eyes already shut. I smiled to myself sleepily.

Maybe, everything will turn out okay.

* * *

I yawned hugely. Oh, I was _so_ not a morning person. GrayNite may not sleep in the day like vampires, but that doesn't mean I like mornings. Especially early. Nights were so much better. Quiet, peaceful, dark, and mysterious...

But I, Natsume Hyuuga, most powerful among the Nite, had to get up early for _school_.

'_There is no phrase more contradictory than 'good morning ' "_, I thought to myself as I made my way downstairs.

" Good Morning, Natsume!!"

I blinked. Bright chirpy voice, long pigtails, stupid smile...

_Polka._

For one wonderful moment, I had totally forgotten about her. I groaned mentally. Why couldn't she have just been a nightmare?

"Did you sleep well Natsume? I'm assuming you sleep, of course. Do you dream too? Did you have nice dreams?" She prattled on, disappearing into the kitchen.

I stalked after her, furious. "What are you doi…"

I abruptly trailed off as I looked around. The kitchen was unrecognizable. Every surface had been scrubbed clean. The cupboards had been dusted. The huge pile of dishes cleaned dried and stacked neatly.

Through the adjacent door, I could see that all the laundry had been done too.

"You did all this?" I asked Pigtails, disbelief clear in my tone.

"Well you did ask me to." She said lightly, still smiling brightly.

Flummoxed I followed her to the living room. What was she so cheerful about? Any normal human would have been depressed, complaining and groaning about now. What was with this girl?

I entered the living room and hissed, recoiling as bright sunlight hit my face. I threw an arm up to shield my eyes from the brightness.

"Natsume?" the Little Girl gasped. "Oh my god!"

I lowered my arm a bit to see her run around the room frantically, drawing the curtains, apologizing the entire time.

"I'm so _so_ sorry! I wasn't thinking, I forgot, and you were out when the sun was still up yesterday, though it was setting... I just assumed.... oh lord, what I have done?" she choked out.

"If you really wanted to kill me, you should have chosen a more effective method," I told her matter-of-factly, lowering my arms and enjoying the cool shadows again. She gaped at me.

"You're...you're not melting?" she asked me hesitantly.

Wasn't she a riot? "Really, Little Girl, you need to lose these preconceptions you have about vampires. Or at least stop associating them with me. I am not a vampire. I'm a GrayNite. We don't melt in sunlight, or turn into a pile of ashes."

"You don't?"

"We do get a horrible skin disease though." Seeing the look on her face I continued. "But luckily, an intelligent member of the Nite created an antidote. Sunscreen."

"Sunscreen?" she repeated skeptically.

"How else do you think I step out in daytime? Of course, it's a higher SPF then the kind you humans use, which by the way is just an adaptation."

"So why did you react like that just now?" she sounded peeved.

"Hey, just because it doesn't give me an allergy doesn't mean I have to like it you know." I told her smugly. She looked mad.

Then suddenly she turned around and opened all the curtains again. The nerve of her! Didn't I just tell her I don't like sunlight?

She twirled around and faced me, her bright smile back in place, irritatingly. Wasn't she annoyed a moment ago?

"Sunshine is wonderful Natsume, and so cheerful! But then I don't expect _you_ to understand that." With a tinkling laugh she sped of towards the doorway." Come on, we're going to be late!" she called.

I glowered after her. Was she mental or something? I was told teenage girls have mood swings, but who goes from being annoyed to happy in a nanosecond?

Shaking my head and grumbling, I followed her out the door. Polka was one weird girl.

* * *

_**Please don't be a ghost reader!Make my day- Read and Review!**_


	7. Devil's Advocate

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**Disclaimer: I don't claim to own Gakuen alice, or its characters.**

**A/n:- A huge hug and a slice of choco cake for each of my lovely readers. Thank you for your wonderful reviews!**

**Here's an extra long chapter 6!**

**Chapter 6**

**Devil's Advocate**

I skipped cheerfully through the grounds of Alice Academy, humming to myself. It was such a beautiful morning! Natsume trailed grumpily after me, but not even he could ruin my happiness. I had managed to work hard and finish all the chores he gave me. Grandpa would have been proud. And I got to spend time with Hotaru too! I could sing for joy.

"_Ne, ne, you see that pigtailed girl? She's the one."_

I stopped humming and slowed down a bit as I heard my name being whispered.

"_Her name's Mikan Sakura."_

"_I heard she's Hyuuga-sama's fiancée."_

"_No way! Hyuuga-san would never allow that!"_

"_But he had too. It seems the council itself chose her."_

"_Her? What's so special about her? She's such a plain looking thing."_

"_And I heard she's not even a Graynite! Just an ordinary human!"_

"_Who cares about that? I bet she has full access to Hyuuga-sama's toothbrush. Just imagine how much that would cost on e-bay! "_

I slowed down completely, clutching my books to my chest and looked around uneasily. How did they know who I was? Or that I was engaged to Natsume? How many of them were a part of the Nite?

Suddenly the whispers died down completely. I turned to find Natsume glaring at everyone around us, a menacing aura rolling off him in waves.

He turned towards me, his face expressionless again and his eyes had the normal angry look. He all but marched off with his nose in the air.

I stared after him. Is this what he had to put up with everyday? All these people talking about him like that....

I realized with a start that I was getting late for class. I hurried after him, not wanting to be left alone with the whisperers.

* * *

" My life is sad." I whimpered to myself, hunched in gloom. I had just had the worst day ever. Everywhere I went, people stared and talked about me. All the attention was unnerving. The fact that this school was filled with half vampires possessing super powers wasn't great either. Plus the teachers had decided to pick on me too.

I shuddered as I remembered math class. The teacher was this horrible man called Jinno who thought I was completely unworthy of to receive attention from the council. He detested me, and was completely biased and evil. Figures, he taught math after all.

Only one thing could make me feel better right now.

Finally, I spotted the blue haired head I was looking for on the grounds.

"Ho-ta-ru! Let's eat lunch together!" I sang out, skipping towards her.

_FLASH_

I blinked, momentarily blinded. Was I having a vision? Had I been hypnotized? Or had I just been vaporized by a bomb?

When I regained my sight I saw Hotaru holding a camera. Oh.

I eyed her warily. "You're not going to use my picture for your dart board again, are you?"

"I'm a little low on cash. A picture of Natsume Hyuuga's fiancée would sell really well." She offered in a way of explanation.

"Not you too!" I fumed. "Can anyone see me as me instead of that jerk's fiancée?"

"I don't see you as his fiancée. I just see a noisy girl I can make money off."

"Well, since you've always loved me for those reasons, I guess its ok." I sighed. "Anyway!" I continued," Lets have lunch! I'm starved!"

"Sorry, no can do. I have an appointment." Hotaru told me.

"I'm not falling for that! You always said lunch and business don't mix. Come on, I haven't spent time with you in ages. And I made you your favorite crab roe."

"Tempting, but I have to pass. And it's not a business meeting."

I stopped in my tracks. "You're meeting someone _socially_?" I gasped." _Who_?"

She ignored me and kept walking. I stared at her as I slowly followed. In all my living memory, Hotaru had never been friends with anyone....except me, of course. She just doesn't tolerate people. Could a year really have changed her that much?

"So who is it you're meeting?" I asked curiously.

"Ruka Nogi."

"A guy!" I squealed in shock. "You have a b_oyfriend_, Hotaru? And you're telling me _now_?"

I couldn't believe this. Hotaru was in love. Was the world coming to an end?

She didn't reply and we walked in silence until we came to a shady nook in one corner of the grounds. Waiting there was a blond guy our age, with blue eyes and a rabbit in his arms.

"Hotaru." He smiled.

"Ruka."

" Who's with you?" He asked pleasantly.

"Hello, I'm Mikan Sakura, Hotaru's best friend. Pleased to meet you." I said politely and bowed.

"She's Hyuuga-san's fiancée." Hotaru added bluntly.

Nogi-kun looked like he had just been told I was from another planet.

"Sorry." He laughed sheepishly when he realized he had been gawking. "It's just that I don't meet people with such unusual introductions everyday. Hotaru's best friend. _And_ Natsume's fiancée. How did _that_ happen?"

"It's the Council's decision." Hotaru replied." She's under the council's guardianship."

"So you're a GrayNite too?" I blurted out.

He smiled again." Yes, of course. Ruka Nogi, Animal Brother. At your service." He said, bowing gallantly.

"Huh? Animal brother?" I repeated in confusion.

He looked surprised that I didn't know." I can charm animals and understand them. Also, if I wish, I can take the shape and form of a wolf."

"So you're a werewolf! Cool! It's like all the tales are coming to life. Ooh, can I call you Ruka-pyon? Pretty please?"

He threw Hotaru a confused look. She just pulled out her baka gun and shot me down.

"He's not a werewolf. He's not even a shape shifter. That's just the natural ability he's got, since he is part of the Nite."

To Ruka-pyon she said," She visited the House of Horrors a bit too many times as a kid. Ignore her."

Ruka-pyon helped me up." Uh, you can call me that if you want, Sakura-san. So, what are your abilities?"

I looked down glumly, all joy at having met a werewolf evaporated. "I don't have powers. I'm just an ordinary human."

"You're not Nite?" He asked incredulously. "But, that means...." he glanced frantically between me and he groaned and slapped his forehead.

"No wonder Natsume's in such a bad mood since morning, he wouldn't even talk to me. Not only did the Council forcibly betroth both of you, you're human to boot. Not that that's a bad thing." He added quickly, seeing the look on my face,"Humans are so..... uh....importunate after all."

I was guessing that's a good thing.

"You sound like you know Natsume well, Ruka-pyon," I said, the question clear in my voice.

He nodded." Of course I do. Natsume is my best friend."

"Right. And I'm Count Dracula."

"It's the truth."

"What?! You're best friends with that pervert?" I said disbelievingly.

"Well, I've never heard him being referred to like that, but assuming its Natsume you're talking about, yes, I'm his best friend."

"But you're so different! You're nice and kind and sweet....and Natsume! He's a scowling, rude, conceited pyromaniac playing at being a vampire...."

I trailed off as I saw Ruka-pyon look at something behind me with apprehension.

I groaned. "Oh no.... he's behind me, isn't he?" I stiffened as I felt his glare on my back.

Why, why did I have to be cursed with the dreaded foot in the mouth disease? My feet couldn't even walk without stumbling, but they found their way into my mouth too often with practiced ease.

I turned around slowly. Might as well face it. I grinned sheepishly. "Hey, Natsume. How was your day so far?"

He gave me a contemptuous look but didn't say anything.

"Let's go, Ruka."

"S-sure Natsume."

And just like that, Ruka-pyon kissed Hotaru on the cheek, threw me an apologetic look and a faint reassuring smile, and followed after Natsume. Why did he have to listen to him? I still didn't see how they were friends. Besides, didn't the legends state that werewolves and vampires were natural enemies?

At least I was safe. Natsume hadn't done anything.

The thought had barely crossed my mind when Natsume turned around.

"By the way, Polka Dots." He said," Here's a bit of advice. The next time you want to insult someone, you really should whisper." He moved his hand in a small gesture, and flicked it upwards.

My skirt caught fire.

I screamed loudly enough to be heard by Hades. The next thing I knew, cold icy shards pierced my skin.

Hotaru had doused me with water.

I was breathing hard and shivering. It had been just a small flame, and had barely singed my skirt. Still. I knew who was responsible.

"NATSUME, YOU JERK!"

* * *

I was in a really bad mood, as bad as the sun shining cheerily on a meadow full of cute woodland animals (shudder).I scowled at the sky from my perch in the Sakura tree. Things never had gone the way I wanted them to, but lately, my fate had gotten a lot worse.

Of all the people to be saddled with, I was stuck with a dense, stupid, thick skinned idiot, of whom insults and torture bounced of like pogo sticks on a trampoline. I had tried everything short of maiming and killing to trouble Polka, and she still freaking SMILED like she was the luckiest girl alive. Nothing seemed to faze her for more than a few minutes, including malicious high school gossip. Heck, even I was bothered by that!

If this continued, a week would be over before she made a serious mistake. I needed proof to convince the Council to get rid of her; else I was stuck for eternity.

Especially since I knew their motives now.

I finally managed to wrangle the truth out of Narumi. The council hadn't gotten me engaged to Pigtails just so they could have a good time laughing at me. I was way too _precious_ for that, apparently. I was being used again. Like some farm animal, for breeding.

Because, surprisingly, Little Girl was a nullifier.

Human memory is famous for its shortcomings, so I don't suppose you remember what I told you about them at the beginning. Yes, that's right, they were the vampire race's natural enemies, the ones who were their undoing. Yes, I did say that they had mysteriously vanished from the face of the earth years ago, when the vampire race was defeated. Notice though, I said face of the earth. Who's to say they didn't go back to hide in the bowels of hell, where they came from?

Plus, Vampires aren't supposed to be real either. And yet her I was, existing, scowling proof that vampires once existed.

Over the years, as the BloodMagic among the Nite became stronger, the nullifiers once more made their appearance. They truly are Nature's defense against the Nite. However, they too like the Nite had degraded, and were not what they once were.

Oh, don't think I can't see you licking your lips in anticipation of a gruesome, action filled war between the Nite and nullifiers. The human love of violence is so primitive. I'll have you know, we're far more civilized and above petty things like wars.

Moreover, it was not like there was anyone to fight. Since so few of the Nite had strong enough Blood Magic to incite a reaction, the number of nullifiers is very less. None of them posses the power of Unbecoming. They still had powers to resist us though, which made them very popular.

There is a struggle between the Council and the revolutionaries to gain dominance over the maximum number of Nullifiers. Yes, there were some GrayNite who opposed the Midnight Council. Every organization has somebody revolting against them, but these were traitors to their own kind.

Anyway, back to nullifiers. They were now important allies instead of enemies, though mistrusted, due to their obvious advantage over us. And Pigtails was one of them.

It was unnerving to think that she was a nullifier. She in no way seemed to posses the cunning nullifiers were known for, and acted convincingly human.

The question was, just what was the council was planning with her? Did they honestly expect a GrayNite and Nullifier to get along? Was she working for them, or did she have plans of her own?

* * *

Wandering aimlessly, I found myself at the Sakura tree where I had first met Natsume. Sighing, I plonked myself under the tree and continued cursing Natsume in my mind.

"Sakura-san?"

Startled, I glanced up. "Oh," I said in a deflated tone when I saw who it was. "Hello, Ruka-pyon."

"May I sit down?" he asked, giving me a friendly smile.

I nodded mutely.

We sat in silence for a few minutes. Then he suddenly said," Would you like to hear how I came to be part of the Nite, Sakura-san?"

Without waiting for my reply, he continued," You see, I'm kind of a special case. I wasn't born a GrayNite like Hotaru, or Natsume. I was once just an ordinary human boy."

"One day, while I was playing in the park near my orphanage, I found a boy who looked to be my age in one corner, near the edge of the woods I had been forbidden to enter. I had noticed right away that there was something different about him. Maybe it was the fact that he was covered in blood, but strangely enough, he wasn't crying. Maybe it was because of the shadows cast by dusk, or the quite ominous whisperings of the trees behind us. Maybe it was because my instincts were screaming danger. Maybe," and here he laughed," It was because his eyes were a vivid, blood red. It didn't matter to me though. Always, ever since I was little, I had been helping injured animals. I couldn't have left him there, hurt like that."

I was hanging on to his every word now, though I had no idea why he was telling me this.

"I helped him, though he snarled at me, and was very violent. Surprisingly we became friends. I knew what he was; if not a monster from the tales, then the closest thing to it. It did not matter to me, however. We were friends, and for a while it was okay."

"Then, one day, a few tall men appeared, with wild eyes. They, I found out later, were Nite, who had followed my so they could ambush him. They attacked me. I very nearly died, and would have, if it wasn't for Natsume."

I snapped out of my reverie." Eh?? Natsume? Where did he come from? And what about your friend?"

Ruka-pyon looked at me with disbelief and pity. "Sakura-san," he said slowly," Natsume _was_ the friend I had met."

_Ohh_

Ruka-pyon continued," He fought them off. It was too late for me though, I was obviously dying. I had lost too much blood."

"What happened then?" I asked in a scarce whisper.

"Natsume granted me the greatest favor. He saved me, using his own BloodMagic, an act that is forbidden among the Nite, with serious consequences for someone as important as him. Nite BloodMagic has healing powers for ordinary mortals. Natsume's was so strong however, that he didn't just heal me. He managed to turn me into a GrayNite. He was punished heavily by the council for that."

Ruka-pyon closed his eyes." I have always been an outcast among the Nite, never accepted. I simply wasn't supposed to exist. Natsume stuck by me throughout, however, no matter what anybody said. And it was because I joined the Nite that I met Hotaru. At first, I didn't think I would ever be grateful about that." He chuckled.

He opened his eye and looked at me." I am extremely thankful to be Natsume's friend, Sakura-san. Don't take everything he says our does to the heart. Please do not judge him. He has been through a lot, and has lost his happiness. You cannot understand, what it must feel like, living everyday wishing you could die, hating yourself."

Natsume...hated himself? How could anyone lose the will to live? That thought was too sad.

"Why are you telling me this, Ruka-pyon?" I asked uncertainly.

He smiled gently." I don't know. Perhaps because you're Hotaru's best friend. Or Natsume's fiancée. Or maybe," he added under his breathe," because of your smile."

I stayed quiet for a minute.

" You know, Ruka-pyon," I said smiling," Natsume's stupid. No way am I going to let him get me down!" Laughing, I jumped up." See you later, Ruka-pyon!"

Tomorrow was a brand new day after all. Who knew what lay around the corner? I was definitely not going to be unhappy!

* * *

I jumped down from my branch, shaking my head to clear it. If I wasn't careful, I was going to spend the rest of my life in Sakura trees spying on polka dotted panty girls. Better not let it turn into a habit. I'd probably grow an oily moustache and wear dark shades too.

"Natsume!" Ruka greeted me, smiling. He didn't look surprised at all. Well, this was my tree, after all.

"Ruka." He had known I was listening, I'm sure.

I looked away. "You know something Ruka? That Pigtails is weird."

I walked away, not wanting to look at Ruka's face, where his smile was sure to be in place. Damn best friend telepathy.

* * *

**_Comments and suggestions are welcome_**


	8. Nite of Horror

**A/N** - Finally an update! This chapter is quite different from any I've written before. Hope you enjoy it!

**Disclaimer-** I own Gakuen Alice just about as much as I own cool super hero abilities. Which is to say, I can make up stories about it, but none of them are true.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**Nite of Horror**

The sun had already set, and the shadows grew longer. Black clouds thundered through the sky, announcing the arrival of a storm. The wind howled, and dead leaves swirled and danced like the possessed.

Drawing my coat closer, I increased my pace. Why had I decided to go home alone today? Even the trees seemed forbidding.

Soon the wind seemed to carry the sound of screams, and the shadows seemed to be hiding a great danger. Shuddering, I scolded myself for being so paranoid and vowed never to watch five horror movies in a row all night again. Ignoring everything around me, I turned into a dark lane, hoping the shortcut would get me home faster.

And came upon a horrifying scene.

The limp form of a girl, wearing an Alice Academy uniform, lay lifelessly a few paces away from me.

And behind her, in the shadows, an indiscernible figure with blood red eyes.

I did what any other girl in my position would do. I screamed.

"All right! Is that an authentic, scary creature of the dark? I actually get to meet one!!"

Ok, so maybe not what every girl would do. But definitely what, I, Mikan Sakura, would do!!

What?? It's always better to look at the positive side of things, right?

* * *

On that fateful evening, the scent of strawberries drove me away from my victim.

It had been nearly a week since the Little Girl had come to disrupt my peaceful existence. I had decided that I needed to feed in order to replenish my energy.

Oh, not by _drinking blood_. I had the Sustenance at my disposal.

Of course, this is what I came to school for. Besides giving Narumi a chance to keep an eye on me, the school provided an endless supply of victims.

It was always too easy. I didn't even need to use hypnosis. All I had to do was corner one of those silly girls and ask them if they would like to meet me in private. They all gladly agreed. None of them ever paused to think that I had never asked any other girl before. Not that they had heard of, anyway. Silly human pride.

Normally, I would arrange the…. rendezvous at my house. Secluded enough, and with enough by lanes for me to ensure that victim would find be found at a place far enough to avoid suspicion. But since Polka Dots was there, I had to choose a dark, uncomfortable alley on the way to the house. I felt like some phony vampire with cardboard fangs from a cheap horror movie, kinda like the ones Pigtails watched till late last night.

But with the new moon growing closer, I needed to feed. So the dark alleyway it was. For the first time, I had to use hypnosis to convince the victim to follow me there.

It was a simple, quick procedure. Once the victim was in a trance, I simply used a needle to prick the victim slightly. A single drop of her blood mixed with mine allowed my BloodMagic to identify her soul. After that all I had to do was place a hand above her mouth, allow my instincts and BloodMagic to guide me and draw out some energy.

I always wondered about my ancestors at a time like this. _Why the neck??_

But I had barely got enough before the howling wind (had someone up there watched too many horror movies last night, too?) carried a now too familiar scent. A scent that had me jumping away from my victim and into the shadows, a bit too late. The scent of strawberries.

Sure enough, it was followed by the cause immediately. Polka.

I flinched as she screamed. I had let my BloodMagic run a little too strong, and couldn't manage to hide the glow of my eyes. Of course she noticed.

"All right! Is that an authentic, scary creature of the dark?I actually get to meet one!!"

I froze for a millisecond, and then rolled my eyes. Of course. Something as trivial as a creature from hell wasn't going to scare this Little Girl.

Before I could help myself, I snorted. In indignation. 'What are you trying to imply, Pigtails? You've met me, and I _am_ an authentic 'creature of the Dark'."

"Natsume?? Oh… it's just you." She said.

She actually sounded disappointed. What? Was she trying to say I wasn't scary?

She narrowed her eyes at me as I stepped out of the shadows, and then looked worriedly at the victim.

"Natsume?" She asked uncertainly. "What are you doing here? And who's that??"

"I was feeding, before you so rudely interrupted." I'd like to see how she reacts to that.

"Really? Sugoi! You know I was really was getting worried about you. But looks like you're a normal little vampire after all!" She said cheerfully, sounding like a relieved mom. Then her human side took over. "But what about the girl? She's fainted…. Oh Kami, you haven't killed her have you! You idiot, you're not supposed to suck out all her blood! Wait, I even recognize her! Her name is…"

"No!" I cut her of sharply. "She's simply the victim, that's all." Taking a deep breath in order to achieve some semblance of calm, I took on my usual mocking tone.

"And I don't suck blood, I believe I already told you that." In a few short sentences, I described the Sustenance as best as I could.

"So I just borrowed a little of the victim's energy, just enough to make the victim feel drowsy for a couple of days, at most."

"But, what are we going to do with her?"

" _We _are not going to do anything. I've drawn a bit of her soul too, so that her memory of this evening has been erased. Narumi will come pick her up soon enough, and return her to her dorm. No harm done. _You_ will return to the house right now."

"Ok." She agreed hesitantly." But what about you?"

"I was never your concern, Polka Dots." I said turning away. "No need to start now."

* * *

I made my way back to the house, my thoughts occupied by the same subject I had been obsessing with for a week now. First it was about who she was, then about why the Council had stuck me with her. Then a series of sadistic plans to torture her followed by frustration when none of them seemed to work in breaking her resolve.

So now, out of habit, I just contemplated the mystery that was Polka Dots. About her never ending cheerful optimism, and just as limitless energy. Her strange penchant for horror and all related factors.... did she have no idea the dangers such a dark world posed? Was her sense of self preservation dead? And how could she like strawberry icecream over chocolate?

I shook my head when I realized what I was doing. Pigtails was haunting me!

_If you can't get someone out of your head, they're probably supposed to be there!!_

I scowled. The stupid mind reader wasn't laughing when I almost melted his uniform. How dare he pick up my thoughts? That was another reason I didn't like school…. It was an invasion of privacy, with all those Nite roaming around.

I turned around a corner, and suddenly a pain shot through my chest. I doubled over, coughing. My chest throbbed continuously, and pain sprouted in every part of my body.

Just as abruptly, the attack stopped. I slowly removed my hand from my mouth, and gazed at the dark stain on it in horror.

_Blood_.

My BloodMagic was resisting me.

Being the most powerful GrayNite came with its share of disadvantages. As the only one of the Nite closest to the Vampires of old, I was bound by their rules. Vampires were creatures of Earth, spawned at its Darkest Hour. They owed their power to Earth. And so did I.

Every night of the new moon, I had to perform the BloodEarth ritual in order to maintain my life force and BloodMagic. The ritual itself was simple enough. No chanting, no sacrifice, magic or the usual flamboyance that humans seem to prefer. I mix some of my blood with a part of my BirthSoil and bury it in a new site every night of the new moon, an hour before dawn. Give back what one has received; help nourish the Earth in return for its care.

It was an ancient pact with nature, and not one to be trifled with. We all owe our existence to Mother Earth; disrespect her and the consequences were harsh.

Humans had long forgotten this. They didn't just disrespect Earth, they ravaged it. Year by year the Earth grows weaker, and humans slowly inch us all towards our doom.

But it seems my doom has come sooner than expected. My BloodMagic was weakening, and the energy I obtained through Sustenance was not enough. I had been prevented from performing the ritual last month. Already, the consequences were making themselves felt.

Having reached the house, I slowly made my way in. The reason my BloodMagic was resisting me was…..

"Natsume. So nice to see you again." A dangerously silky voice purred.

I froze. If I had a normal human heart, it would have jumped out of my throat by now.

I turned slowly, masking my expression, not wanting to let him see any weakness.

"Persona." I said with utmost loathing. Standing in the middle of the largest room of my own house, was the one creature I hated above all else.

I say creature, because that's exactly what he is. Rumor had it, that he was a rare crossbreed; his mother was a GrayNite and his father a Nullifier. He was recognized by the Council as a part of the Nite, though. Whether or not that was true, it was a given fact that Persona was stronger than most GrayNite in strength.

Except me of course. But he had taken care of that little problem ages ago.

"How have you been Natsume? A good little boy?" Persona asked, a condescending smile playing about his face.

"What are you doing here, Persona?" I was in no mood for his little games.

"My, my you're such a rude host. Didn't I ever teach you how to treat guests?" he gave an affected little laugh that mocked Narumi's. "I just wanted to see how you've been doing, that's all. Can't I check up on my little ward once in a while?"

"Drop the worried guardian act Persona. Even Naru does it better than you."

"I simply thought it would be interesting to observe you at your place of repose." He continued, returning to his normal tone." Also…. I hear you've taken a little colored kitty in."

I kept my expression smooth, but inside my BloodMagic was screaming danger at me. He knew about Polka.

"Really Persona, you should cut down on your dates with Narumi. You're beginning to sound like him."

I was hoping the insult would divert his attention. Didn't work.

"So the council's got you and this little kitty engaged have they? I wonder what's so special about her?" he mused.

"Special? Nothing at all. She's an interfering busybody I plan to get rid of soon." I said, keeping my tone nonchalant.

"Indeed?' he smirked," I was told she was one of those special _Nullifiers_. Surely that would have interested you?"

I gritted my teeth, not trusting myself to answer him. So he knew the Little Girl was a Nullifier. Great.

His mocking smile faded as he studied me. I glared back at him.

'At first glance, there appeared to be something _changed_ about you, Black Cat. I was under the impression that you…._ enjoyed _having this girl around. You do pay her an unnecessary amount of attention."

I smoothed my expression to one of uncaring contempt. "The only time I pay her any heed is when I am planning her departure. I have enough troubles and don't need that pesky _child_ to add to them."

"I'm glad to hear that. It's a good thing you've not grown attached to her, Natsume." I repressed a shudder as he purred my name.

"After all tools shouldn't know any pleasure other than the fulfillment of their masters wishes. Because that's just what you are, right Natsume? A tool……. the Council's Pure Nite _pet_."

He was goading me. I knew it, and was used to it. He would have to do better if he hoped to incite me.

"But you know that already," he continued, as if he could read my mind. "You realize that the only reason the Council had you engaged was because they found another use for you. Though it's not necessarily unpleasant." He chuckled.

I looked at him sharply. Where exactly was he going with this?

"I caught a glimpse of the little kitty the other day. So pretty, so innocent….so _soft_." His grin stopped just short of outright laughter when he saw the look of revulsion and shock on my face.

" I wonder if she feels as soft as she looks. I'm dying to see if I could make her squeal. Perhaps I should go try now?"

All conscious thought left me as a roaring sound sprang up in my ears. Anger and hate flushed through me, pure rage I hadn't felt in years. My claws and hair grew and my eyes flashed

BloodMagic pounded in my veins. Abandoning caution, I let my hate consume me. Claws and fangs bared, I threw myself at Persona.

Only to hit an invisible wall. The force of the impact threw me back across the room. For a full minute the only thing I was aware of was the thunder outside and the ringing in my ears, before the world turned black and I lost consciousness.

* * *

**A/N- **All right, my very first cliffhanger!! even if originally I hadn't planned for a cliffy.... the story just seens to run away with itself, and it would get really long if I put everything into this chapter. So had to cut it.

PLEASE REVIEW. They really mean a lot to me.

Hoping to update reasonably soon. Life's super busy as usual, but I want to find time to write.

A very Happy New Year to all of you!!


	9. Illumination

**Disclaimer-** I don't own Gakuen alice or its characters, just the plot of this story and the concept of Nite and BloodMagic :)

**A/N- **YAY!! more than 50 reviews! Thank you so much!!

**eternallove495- **Yeah, our little GrayNite might just care:) shhh don't let him hear you though!Thanx for the review.

**ira_BAMBOO- **Your question is answered in this chapter. Yeah, well, I find Persona kinda freaky too in the anime and manga, maybe thats why I wrote him that way. Oh, and thank you so much for reviewing ALL of my stories!! I'm flattered that you liked them. :D

THANKS to **Catty Maddy, Kuroi Tsubasa, halftherainbow7, Masshou no Tenshi, rockerfaith, yamaharuka, eternallove495, ira_BAMBOO and kmc27 **for reviewing. You guys are the best!!

And a SPECIAL THANKS to **Nadeshiko-hime **for my 50th review!!

Well, here's the fast update everyone wanted. Hope you like it!!

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**ILLUMINATION**

I reckoned that I had been out for about five minutes before my BloodMagic revived me. Ordinarily, it would have taken more than a bump on my head to knock me out. Further signs of weakness.

Shaking my head clear, I jumped to my feet. Persona was still there, calmly waiting for me to recover. My anger rekindled.

"Since when did you become so naïve, Natsume?," he asked softly. "How did you dare to attack me? Did you honestly think that you could harm me when I have _this_?

He casually tossed a black drawstring pouch in one hand.

My BirthSoil.

The one reason that my BloodMagic was weakening. The one reason Persona had control over me.

The reason why my attack had been deflected so strongly just now. I could not harm the source of my own power.

It had been Persona who had found me as a child. It was he who discovered the extent of my power, the strength of my BloodMagic. He was the one who took me away, and handed me over to the Midnight Council. I did not know who I was, who my parents were, where I was born. All my memories of my nightmare of an existence started with him and that handful of BirthSoil.

It was the one thing that guaranteed complete dominance over me. The council controlled me because of who I was. He controlled me because of what I was.

The mask of a black cat I wore sometimes had been made by him. Made from my BirthSoil, tainted by his BloodMagic. Allowing my BirthSoil to be corrupted was a crime. The mask punished me with jolts of headache inducing currents whenever I wore it.

He would lease a little BirthSoil every night of the new moon so I could perform the BloodEarth ritual. But the ritual wasn't working. My BloodMagic was resisting me, because my BirthSoil lay in another's possession.

I smirked inwardly. Persona thought I wouldn't dare harm him while he held my BirthSoil. But if I was wasting away anyway, then I didn't particularly care. I just wanted to take him down.

It was time to finish this.

* * *

I rubbed my eyes sleepily as I made my way down the stairs. For some reason, I just couldn't sleep tonight. Maybe a glass of milk would help.

I paused on my way to the kitchen as I heard voices. Was that Natsume? What was he doing in the living room this late?

I hesitated at the doorway, knowing Natsume would be angry if I interrupted him. But what if it was a thief or something?

Just one little peek, then.

A weird sight met my eyes. Natsume stood at one end of the room, looking angrier than I had ever seen him. He was facing an odd looking man, with long spiky black hair and a white mask covering most of his face. He was tossing a drawstring pouch in one hand.

And the tension between them was enough to set the air on fire.

"I've had it with you Persona," Natsume snarled suddenly. "I don't care anymore. Its time you paid for all you've done to me."

The other man (Persona?) frowned slightly." Don't be foolish Natsume. To fight me would be suicide. Don't make me increase your punishment. You're in enough trouble as it is."

"Not as much as you're going to be in."

"Oh? And how do you think you can attack me, when I have you BirthSoil?"

Natsume smiled, and I almost shuddered. It was a truly scary smile, especially since his eyes became blood red. For once, he seemed like the terrifying vampire he was.

He held out his hand, and a flame ignited.

Suddenly they moved into action. Natsume threw a fireball at Persona's head, and moved so fast he almost disappeared. Persona ducked the fireball, but Natsume reappeared behind him, trying to snatch the pouch away.

But Persona was already at the other side of the room, and a black cloud filled the space between. I watched in horror as it ate away most of the furniture, and killed a rat when it touched it. Natsume barely managed to avoid, and crumpled in pain when his arm got shrouded by the smoke.

"You stupid brat." Persona snarled, and raised his hand. Instinctively I knew he was going to use the curse cloud again.

Natsume!!

"No!" I cried, and without thinking jumped in front of him.

* * *

Curses. I tried to blink away the pain and clutched my arm. I saw Persona raise his hand again. This was it.

I drew upon my final BloodMagic, preparing to use all of my Fire to finish this once and for all.

He let loose his curse cloud, and I released a wave of my Fire.

"No!!"

Time seemed to stop as I heard her voice. Too late, I saw her silhouette in front of me. Panic seized me and I realized that I couldn't control the Fire.

"MIKAN!!"

A blinding white light filled the room.

* * *

The doctor and nurses left without noticing me. I quietly stepped out of the shadows and went to Mikan's side.

Hurried footsteps sounded down the corridor and Narumi appeared at the door.

"Mikan-chan!" he let out in a strangled whisper, and hurried over to the other side of the hospital bed to hold her hand. For once his face was nothing but serious as he looked down sadly at her.

After a while he looked back up at me. "The doctor said that they'll need to keep her overnight for observation, but she'll be fine with a little rest."

"I didn't ask." I said irritably, as the knot in my stomach finally loosened.

He smiled sadly, his eyes not quite believing.

"I heard about what happened. Persona's missing, but you don't need to worry. The Council is not pleased with his actions, or the fact that he tried to harm their powerful new ward. He hasn't been reporting to them for quite a while now, and almost all his actions concerning you for unknown to them."

I gave a noncommittal grunt.

"I believe this is yours." he handed me the pouch containing my BirthSoil.

I stared at it for a moment before silently placing it around my neck.

He stroked her hair. "Strong little Mikan-chan. She's amazing, isn't she?" he sighed.

"I need to talk to you about that." I said, narrowing my eyes.

He looked resigned. " I need to go fill out some forms as her guardian. Watch her for some time, okay?"

He was gone before I could protest.

I sighed and took the chair next to her bed, looking out of the window as relief flooded through me.

_It had been a few minutes before the blinding light had faded from my eyes. My frantic gaze found her lying on the ground in a crumpled heap. A dark fear gripped my heart as I turned her over. Miraculously, she seemed unharmed, but she refused to regain consciousness no matter how much I shook her. _

"_Mikan!" as if she would reply to my calls. In a haze I managed to get her to the hospital, not even bothering to check what had happened to Persona._

_No Nullifier I had known was strong enough to take on me or Persona, let alone both of us together. How had she survived? How badly had she been hurt?_

I snapped my attention back to her and watched as she shifted slightly, moaning.

Then ever so slowly her eyes opened. For a moment they held panic and confusion, until they focused on me.

"Natsume" she breathed weakly... Then her eyes widened and she tried to spring up. "Oh, Kami, are you all right Natsume??'

Hello? I wasn't the one strapped to a hospital bed here.

I grabbed her shoulders and forced her down, gently but firmly. "You don't need to worry about me, Little Girl."

She lay back looking like contentment itself. "That's good…" she trailed of weakly.

"Baka!" I barked, causing her eyes to fly open. "You're such an idiot!! Look at yourself, lying there like some weak patient. Do you really have no sense at all? What in the world possessed you that you suddenly felt the urge to jump in between a full blown Nite fight??"

She continued to stare at me as if I was speaking in another language. "But Natsume, you were in danger and seriously hurt. I couldn't just stand there and do nothing. I didn't have time to think."

She risked herself for me? Was she stupid? I didn't wait for the surprise I felt at her words to sink into me. "That's no excuse Idiot. Did you think that just because you're a Nullifier you could jump in between two of the strongest Nite and come out unscathed??"

"Huh? Just because I'm a what?" she asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Don't act dumb with me Pigtails, I already know. You're a Nullifier."

"What's a Nullifier?" she wanted to know. I could see from her eyes that she genuinely had no clue.

Shock hit me again. "You…" I felt like the words were being wrenched out of me. "You had no idea…that you're a Nullifier… and you still…tried to save me?"

_Why?_

"I don't know what you're talking about Natsume, but I do know that I couldn't have stood by and done nothing when someone I knew was in trouble." She said, hurt that I would even think that possible." You maybe a jerk, but I don't hate you. I couldn't stand by and watch you get hurt, could I?" She looked up at me.

She just said that she didn't hate me. And though it seemed like nothing else could take me by surprise now, her next move certainly did.

Mikan laughed, a pale shadow of her usual carefree laughter, due to her weakness. Lifting her hand, she touched my forehead gently, smoothening out the worry lines I didn't know were there. "You shouldn't frown so much, Natsume. You'll get wrinkles."

She lay back again, closing her eyes, her content smile deepening her dimples.

I continued staring down in shock, though I was no longer seeing her. I was trying to understand what just happened.

Just now, something had… shifted inside me, like I'd suddenly missed a step. I felt light…and I felt like smiling. Was this…... was this what humans called…emotion?

What was the she doing to me?

I focused on her again as a faint giggle escaped her. For some reason, my face felt hot.

"Ne Natsume?" she said, her eyes still closed," Did you know your eyebrows are really short?"

Yup, she was most definitely not good for me.

* * *

**A/N**- Not as long as my usual chapters, but a lot of important stuff happened. Don't forget to tell me how you liked it!


	10. Bright Gray

**Disclaimer:-** Sweetsarcastic does not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. If you thought she did, you were seriously misinformed.

**A/N**- And I present the 9th chapter. Enjoy!

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 9**

**Bright Gray**

The next night, I was discharged from the hospital.

"Ah! It's so good to be outside again!" I said, breathing in the fresh air.

" And it's good to see you up and about, Mikan-chan!!" Narumi sensei exclaimed. He had come to take care of the discharge papers.

"Since you're back to being so loud, I guess you're all right now, Stupid."

"Hotaru!" I gasped, turning around.

I looked at her with tears in my eyes. Yesterday, there had almost been a moment when I had thought I would never see her again…

Surprisingly she gave me a small smile." Come here you idiot," she said, holding out her arms.

"Oh, Hotaru!!" I cried, and hugged her with all my might. She laid a hand on my head.

"I know it's hard for you, but try not doing such stupid things. It makes me worry and wastes my time. By the way, you owe me money for that. I could have made a brand new invention…"

I just smiled and hugged her tighter. With Hotaru, it had always been tough love.

A small cough sounded beside us, and I looked up to see that someone else had accompanied Hotaru.

"Hope you're feeling better now, Sakura-san." Ruka-pyon said with a smile.

"Yup!" I grinned, letting go of Hotaru and flexing an arm. "Fit as a fiddle."

"Um…. this is for you." Ruka-pyon stammered, and handed me a clay jar. "It's honey from a rare breed of bees…I hope you like it."

"Aw, Ruka-pyon," I said, touched, " You shouldn't have."

"Oh no," he shook his head," I'm really indebted to you Sakura-san. You saved Natsume, at the risk of your own life. Thank you so much."

"I keep saying, it was what anyone would have done. You don't just stand there and let someone you know get hurt…" I muttered.

"Uh, yeah," Ruka-pyon said, confused. " It's just that Natsume's always been so reckless. He doesn't really care about himself, and is liable to throw away his existence at any given instant. I'm so glad he has you now!"

Before I could think of a reply to that, Hotaru cut in. "And speaking of yesterday…"

She turned to Narumi sensei, and actually smiled at him. The smile made her look even more beautiful than usual, but for some reason it sent a shiver down our spines. "Care to explain, sensei?" She asked in a deceptively pleasant voice.

Narumi sensei gulped. "Of course! Why don't we walk Mikan-chan back home, and I'll explain?"

We started walking back to the mansion.

"First off, Mikan-chan, I'd like to congratulate you." Narumi sensei said. He whipped out a huge bouquet of flowers out of…. some extra large pocket? And handed it to me.

"These are lovely, Sensei, thank you. But what are they for?"

"You've managed to complete the obligatory one week of stay with Natsume! He sent a message to the Council this morning- you're now officially allowed to stay!"

Shock infused me, followed by happiness. I was allowed to stay? I didn't have to be homeless! And wait- _Natsume_ agreed to let me stay?!?

"Congrats Sakura-san!" Ruka-pyon said, as Hotaru commented," Guess we're stuck with the idiot now."

I was still too surprised to even call her up on her meanness. I had really thought Natsume was too irritated by my presence to actually have me around permanently. Guess I was wrong!

"Hey, does this mean I don't have to stay with Natsume anymore?" I asked hopefully.

"Whatever gave you that idea? Of course you have to stay with him, he's still your fiancé!" Narumi sensei said breezily.

I slumped in disappointment. Guess I couldn't have it all.

"Now, about yesterday," Narumi sensei began in a tone so serious it caused me to stop in my tracks," There's something I've been meaning to tell you, Mikan-chan."

"What is it?" I had never seen him look so grim before. He was starting to worry me.

"I've had my suspicions, but I wasn't completely sure until last night. Mikan-chan…. you're… a Nullifier."

Ruka-pyon gasped in surprise, and Hotaru actually looked shocked.

"Yeah I know." I said nonchalantly, causing Ruka-pyon to sweat drop, and Narumi sensei to almost drop to the ground in surprise.

"You knew?!" he almost yelled at me.

"Um yeah." I said apprehensively. "Natsume's called me that before. He comes up with so many nicknames for me; it's hard to keep up. But how do you know about it?"

"Is there no limit to her stupidity?" Hotaru muttered. I pouted at her.

"Mikan-chan… it's not just a nickname." Narumi sensei took a deep breathe before continuing," You're a Nullifier…. as in, you're not human."

He looked at my frozen expression worriedly." You already know about Vampires, how the Nite are different from them, and why they are different. However, we never told you exactly why the Vampires of old declined. It was because of the Nullifiers."

"They were some sort of defense mechanism that Nature came up with to control the plague of Vampires. A glitch in the basic structure makes sets Nullifiers apart from humans. They're more…endurable, and are built to resist Vampires."

"An age ago, they rose to power, and helped the Human race battle the darkness. However, Nature played a cruel joke on them, and as soon as their purpose was completed, they began to dwindle and disappeared. That is, until now."

"Recently, as the Nite's BloodMagic grew, the Nullifiers began to reappear. Only a handful, but it was still a reaction. Only this time, we weren't completely ruled by our instincts. Some of us chose to work peacefully with the Nite. The others…well…. we all made our choices." He finished delicately.

"We?" I asked him quietly.

Narumi sensei seemed surprised that I had picked up on that point. " Uh, yes. You see, I'm a Nullifier too."

Again, I was really surprised. I don't know why, but somewhere along the way, I had just simply assumed Narumi sensei to be a GrayNite too. It made a lot of sense, now that I thought about it. His control over Natsume, for one thing.

"So…. you can resist the Nite?"

"In a way." He replied. " Just like the powers of the Nite are unique to each individual, similarly our defense varies too. I'm a Pheromone type."

"Huh?"

"All Nite are invariably attracted to me." He said, giving me a devilish grin." They just can't resist my charms!"

I allowed that to sink in. I had to admit, it did suit Narumi sensei's personality.

"Yours, however, seems more inclined towards the old method. Direct Nullification. I guess that's why you were able to survive unscathed yesterday." Narumi sensei continued thoughtfully.

"Did you know?" I said softly, not looking at her.

"No." Hotaru said. I could almost hear the frown in her voice." This is quite…. unexpected."

An awkward silence fell over us as we walked a bit more. I tried avoiding their eyes.

Eventually, Narumi sensei cleared his throat." Well, here's the house." He announced in a fake cheerful voice. Seeing that he hadn't convinced anyone, he sighed and bent down to hug me.

"I know this is a lot to digest at once Mikan-chan." he whispered gently." So I'm just going to give you some space. But I want you to know; I'm always there for you. When you feel ready, come on over and talk, 'kay?"

I nodded, and he smiled at me reassuringly.

"Don't worry your puny little head over it, Baka." Hotaru said as gently as she could. "Nothing's changed."

I gave her a tremulous smile, and watched them all walk back in the direction of the academy.

In a daze, I turned around to make my way through the house, and up the stairs. There was no sign of Natsume, as usual. I stepped into my room and made my way over to the window. I pushed it open, letting the wind caress my face and tried to breathe normally.

Eventually, I noticed Natsume lying on the roof under the branches of the Sakura tree. In a split second decision, I climbed out of the window and made my way over to him.

"Can I…. sit here?" I asked hesitantly.

"Hn"

Taking that to be a yes, I parked myself onto a piece of roof next to him, and wrapped my arms around my legs. I tried to tune out my thoughts, and concentrated on the surroundings.

It was a beautiful night out, with the stars shining overhead and the wind blowing gently. Most surprisingly, _this_ felt normal. Sitting out here with Natsume, enjoying the silence. For some reason it felt…comfortable, and there were no bad vibes between us.

I had just told myself that there was something wrong with the picture, and that it wasn't going to last for long, when Natsume decided to speak. " What's wrong?"

I blinked, trying to register the fact that Natsume was willingly starting a conversation with me. "What do you mean?"

"You're never this quiet unless you're thinking about something. And you're fiddling with that chain around your neck, which you only do when you're worried." He sounded like he was stating the obvious.

I realized I had been thumbing Okaa-chan's locket again. It usually calmed me down, but I was taken aback by his observation.

I opened my mouth to answer him but couldn't make it past the bump in my throat. I tried to find the right words as the knot in my stomach tightened.

"Natsume…" I said slowly," have you ever felt like you didn't know yourself? What you might be, what you're capable of? If, suddenly, everything you knew turned out to be untrue? What if you're repulsed by knowledge of your own self?"

Natsume turned to look at me with his intense eyes, and I realized with a jolt that I he probably knew what I was talking about. Too well. Didn't Ruka-pyon say that he hated himself?

Ashamed, I had decided to apologize when Natsume asked quietly," What made you think about all of that?"

I swallowed painfully. Well, he already knew, in a way. But was I ready to admit it to myself?

"Narumi sensei told me… that I'm a Nullifier." I whispered.

"Oh." There was a 'told-you-so' type air around him, even though he didn't say anything.

" The thing is… I, well…" I struggled to get my thoughts out before they strangled me inside.

"All my life I've heard stories about magical beings and creatures of the dark. I've always been fascinated by these stories, different as they were from my commonplace life. When other little girls wanted to princesses, I kinda wanted to be a vampire." I gave a rueful laugh as Natsume made a face.

"But now…" I stared ahead bleakly," Now, when I actually find out I'm _not human_, I feel like this. I'm still the same person, but everything has changed. How much about me don't I know? How much will change now that I _do_ know? What if I don't want, or believe in, the same things anymore? I'm _different_. And I don't know if that's a good thing anymore." I finished, feeling helpless.

"Hn. And here I thought you actually had a serious problem."

I turned to glare at him. I didn't know _what_ I had expected after baring my soul to him, but this was definitely not it.

"Only you would have such childish worries, _Little Girl_." He scoffed. " So you learnt that you had a white view of a black world. So now you have to deal with shades of gray. So _what_? When you mix black with white you get shades of gray. But it's not necessarily a bad thing. You end up with more variety that way." He grinned at me impishly. He actually g_rinned_ at me!

" Learning something new about yourself doesn't change you, it completes you. Just because you're a different species doesn't mean you change who you are. You are the one who chooses what you believe in, and nothing can change that."

I gawked at him as what he said sunk in. It made sense. Perfect sense. I could feel something rising in me again, but this time, it was gratitude.

"Natsume…" I whispered, tears coming to my eyes," _Thank_ you!"

I leaned over and hugged him, expressing all my happiness through it.

Somehow, everything was back to normal.

" Get off me, Pigtails!"

"Argh! You burnt my hair again! Jerk!"

"It's your fault for invading my private space! Idiot girl."

"Insensitive Moron!"

"Ugly!"

"Short-eyebrow freak!"

"Polka dotted panty girl!"

" Insufferable Pervert!!"

Oh well. As normal as it was when you lived with Natsume, anyway. At least he would never change.

Somehow, that thought itself was worth smiling for.

* * *

**A/n- **Not really action-packed, but with this we finish the first arc of this story! The next chapter is a new beginning, in a way.

I realized I had been portraying Mikan as this ditzy, silly, freakishly-horror-absorbed idiot. While the last part is certainly true (;p) I really hope this chapter succeds in giving her more depth.

Please tell me how it was. Reviews rock!

And a Happy Valentine's to all of you!!


	11. Hot and Cold

**Disclaimer- **No, I don't own Gakuen Alice. if I did, I would bring Yukihara back from the dead. He's too adorable!

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**Chapter 10**

**Hot and Cold**

Almost a month had passed since I first came to Tokyo. I was all but settled in my new life, studying at Alice Academy and spending time with Hotaru and Ruka. Even the rare moments spent with Natsume had become familiar, if not exactly comfortable. My afternoons however, were now spent with Narumi sensei, learning about Nullifiers.

Being a Nullifier was a grave responsibility. I took classes about their history, Nite history, Nite politics, about the Midnight Council, and most importantly, learning to control my powers.

"_You will need a lot of practice before you can actually use your powers at your will." Narumi sensei told me on the day of my first class._

"_Aw, and here I was looking forward to saving the world this evening." I said, rolling my eyes. Natsume's sarcastic streak was starting to rub off on me. _

_He chuckled. "No. But I believe your strength is actually quite high. You seem to be able to use nullification unconsciously up to a certain level. Remember when you first met Natsume-kun in that alley? Even back then, you had managed to resist his hypnosis."_

"_You mean that's what he was trying to do? Hypnotize me?"_

"_Yup! That's how I first got a hint that you might be a Nullifier." He grinned at me._

"_By the way, is anyone ever going to explain to me about the masked weirdo Natsume was fighting?" I muttered._

"_Ah, there's no need to worry about him, Mikan-chan," he chirped," Persona's already served his purpose in the story, and can now be conveniently forgotten. Now I'm Natsume's guardian too!"_

" _As for you, I think you need an offensive attack to fully tap into your potential." He tapped a finger on his lips. "Maybe we should ask Natsume-kun to help us out?"_

_I was horrified at the very thought. Natsume would kill me. He might have allowed me to stay, but that didn't mean he was any nicer to me._

"_Oh, would ya look at the time." I said, glancing at my watch hastily, " I really should be getting home. Thanks a lot, Sensei. See you tomorrow!" _

_Unfortunately, we ended up training with Natsume anyway._

I sighed at the recollection, and stopped in front of a large, polished wooden door.

"Ohayo Minna-san!" I smiled brightly as I flung open the class door. As usual, no one replied. My class was mostly filled with Nite, unlike the others, which had a mixture of humans and Nite. All of them treated me a little strangely because I was a Nullifier, not to mention Natsume's fiancée. But it was all right most of the time.

I smiled at Anna and Nonoko as I passed them and skidded to a stop at Hotaru's single desk. "Morning Hotaru!" I greeted her. She gave me her customary greeting- an eye roll- and proceeded to ignore me.

Suddenly an unnatural hush fell over the class. I turned, hoping that Jinno-sensei hadn't decided to take an extra class. Narumi-sensei was our homeroom teacher, but he was always out on business, so usually homeroom was presided over by a substitute teacher who could never keep us in check.

Walking towards me was Natsume, of all people, followed by Ruka. Everyone was staring at him either like he was god, or the devil himself. "What are you doing here?" I blurted out in utter surprise.

He gave me one of his cold stares." I believe this is my class."

"Wait, you actually have to come to class? But I've been here for a month, and you've never attended a single class." People were starting to murmur. Probably surprised that I could address _Hyuuga-sama_ so casually.

He ignored me and sat down in the long bench at the back. _My_ bench, to be exact. I groaned, and he raised one eyebrow, as if daring me to complain.

School had suddenly gotten a lot worse.

* * *

The unfamiliar chatter of my classmates was difficult to tune out. I was out of practice, having come to class after such a long time.

"_I wonder what brought Hyuuga-sama to class today…"_

"_He looks as handsome as ever, doesn't he? Kyaa!"_

"_Could it be… that he came to class because of _her_?"_

I have no idea what possessed me to attend class that day, and had a suspicious feeling that I wouldn't want to know the true reason. Unbidden, my eyes found Mikan, who was now crying about her woes to Imai.

I watched as she tried to capture Imai's attention by grabbing her hand. Imai promptly pulled out her Baka Gun and shot her down.

_Will she never learn? _I thought as the corners of my lips twitched.

"Natsume…" I turned to find Ruka staring at me in astonishment. Only then did I realize that I actually had a smile on my face.

I glared at him as I fought the blush rising to my face. Turning my glare on the bench, I seethed silently. Great. Not only did she incite a strange reaction from me every time I saw her now, I actually gave her advice and even smiled at her! What was wrong with me?

Mikan came and sat next to me, fuming. I deliberately turned in the other direction.

I didn't know what was going on, but one thing was for sure. If Persona had ever told me something useful, it was to not let too many people get close to me. I needed to ignore Polka, for my own good.

And hers.

* * *

I was hurrying to the grounds for P.E. class when all of a sudden I tripped and fell. Usually this was a normal occurrence, but this time I had been tripped on purpose. I got up to find myself surrounded by three huge guys.

"Ooh, boys, look at what just stumbled onto us! Hyuuga's little _Nullifier_." The middle one jeered.

I'd seen these three goons before. They were a year older, and known throughout the school as bullies. They'd gotten into trouble many times for using their Nite powers on human students.

I raised my chin and looked at them levelly." What do you want?"

"Nothing you can't give, girlie." He said, smirking horribly. The other two cracked their knuckles ominously.

I tensed. "Get out of my way." I was pretty sure I was strong enough to handle all three of them by now, but I didn't want to take a chance.

"Oh no, not yet. You see, me and my friends have a little _problem_." He narrowed his eyes dangerously. "We don't like filthy little freaks of nature who think they're better than us. Usually we like to show nullifiers just how much the world has changed since they last ruled. And we're not going to make an exception just because Hyuuga likes you."

I scowled at him. "You can't hurt me. I'd just Nullify you." I said, trying to sound confident.

He smiled at me. "Who says we were going to use our Nite powers?" he said, and grabbed my hands to haul me over roughly. I cried out in pain.

The next second he was on the ground, moaning. A fire flared up in a circle around me, cutting of the other two guys.

I stared in shock at Natsume, who had appeared out of nowhere to punch the leader. His eyes flashed a brilliant red.

"Hyuuga-sama!" All three of them bowed to him, a look of utter fear on their faces.

"The next time you touch my_ fiancée _you're going to see hell." Natsume said in a frighteningly calm voice.

"W- we're sorry! It won't happen again!" Helping their leader up, they fled as fast as they could.

I looked at Natsume, who was watching them leave. My heart thudded loudly. His words rang in my ears. _My fiancée_. He had never called me that before.

My mouth was suddenly dry, and I swallowed before softly saying, " Thanks Natsume."

"Don't think I'll always be there to help you out, Little Girl." He said harshly, his back still turned to me. "As far as I'm concerned, you're just an annoyance. Remember, you're only here because the Council's forcing me. Stay out of my way."

My heart sank at his distant behavior, and anger rose instead. "I didn't ask for your help! I don't like staying with you either, you pervert!" I shouted at him without thinking. I growled as he walked away.

But my anger disappeared when he vanished from my sight, and I was only left with gloom. How did he manage to be nice one moment, and offensive the next?

"Stupid Natsume." I muttered bleakly.

With a sigh, I continued to my meeting with Narumi sensei.

* * *

Well, _that_ went well. I resolve to ignore her, and end up jumping to her rescue like some fairytale prince. When it came to her, I really did behave illogically. At least I managed to tell her to stay away from me.

And no, the fact that I'm hiding in a tree spying on her class with Narumi doesn't make me a hypocrite. I was just here because I could learn something useful. It has nothing to do with her.

Come to think of it, how come I always find a convenient Sakura tree to scramble up whenever I need to spy on someone? Huh, maybe its one of my powers as the strongest Nite.

I observed Narumi pace the ground below me. He was worked up about something, and it was making me suspicious.

He straightened up as Mikan hurried up to him, a tense look on his face.

"Mikan-chan," he said without preamble, "I have a message for you from the Council."

"You have been assigned to a mission."

I nearly fell out of my tree.

* * *

**A/N**- I know. two months and yet another short and boring chapter. I promise though, the next chapter is going to long and action packed. plus, I'll update soon. Like, within a week or two.

So, anyway, review please?


	12. Haunted House

**Disclaimer- **I do not own these characters.

**A/N- **Here's the quick update I promised!

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**Chapter 11**

**Haunted House**

Thick clouds scurried across the sky and the silence pressed to my ears as I hurried to the appointed place. I couldn't be late for my first mission.

"Mikan-chan! Just in time." Narumi-sensei greeted me. He was standing near a sturdy little fence. I smiled and waved back, then stopped short when I saw whom he was standing with.

"Hotaru! Ruka! What are you doing here?" I said, surprised. I hadn't even told them I was coming here.

In the blink of an eye, Hotaru summoned a bazooka out of her backpack and shot at me. I ducked, but she had already anticipated my move and aimed lower.

"You idiot! Did you really think you could hide something this big from me? I know everything. It's a good thing I'm in a generous mood today. I'm offering to save your hide during this mission."

"Both she and Ruka-san insisted that they be included in the mission." Narumi sensei told me wryly as he helped me up. " They're worried about you I guess."

'Obviously. A klutz like her, she'll get herself killed in no time."

I looked around in surprise. "Natsume!! _You're_ here too?!"

Natsume stepped out of the shadows. He was wearing a long red coat; so dark it almost looked black.

"I thought you didn't want anything to do with me." I said, kind of petulantly.

"Maybe he was worried to too." Ruka-pyon said teasingly. Natsume managed to glare at him and looked embarrassed at the same time.

I blinked at him and he looked away. I guess he wasn't angry anymore.

"I had to specifically request the Council to allow you three. But it's for Mikan-chan, so its okay." Narumi sensei said briskly. "All right so here's your target."

He gestured behind him, and I looked up to see a large spooky house on top of a hill. The moon, full tonight, had just risen and illuminated its profile. It looked like it had stepped right out of a horror movie, complete with long turrets with gargoyles on them and graves dotting the grounds in front of it. The perfect haunted house.

"Your job is to make your way out of the house and into the grounds." He informed us.

"Out of the house? Usually one has the challenge is to break _into_ the house." I said, bemused.

"Not this one." He smiled at me indulgently, but continued with the same unnatural brisk tone. "The only access any living being has to this house is a single room at its very heart. Your mission is to make your way through the house from there, and reach the garden. Your target is the largest tomb in the grounds. There you will find an ancient red stone. Retrieve and return. Any questions?" He finished, sounding amazingly like an army general. Or a football coach.

"Ooh, ooh." I waved my hand, and waited for him to nod before I continued. "Which is the only room living creatures have access to? And how are we going to get there?"

"The only room accessible… is the living room," he grimaced in distaste. "Bad pun aside, the way you'll get in is…"

"By using the Shadowmelt." Natsume announced grimly.

"So you can use it, huh?" Hotaru said, looking at him speculatively.

"Use what?" I asked, as usual totally out of the loop.

"The Shadowmelt. It's the greatest and rarest of the Nite abilities, requiring strong BloodMagic." Narumi sensei explained." It's the ability to move within shadows from one place to another."

"Kinda like teleportation?"

"Yes. And since there are always shadows, I can go anywhere." Natsume said with a sinister smile.

"All right, I guess that's everything. No need to be worried now. All you have to do is walk in there. Get the stone, and get out. It'll be fine." Narumi sensei said, looking like he was about to faint with worry.

"Are you trying to convince us or yourselves?" Ruka-pyon wanted to know.

"Whatever. Lets get going." Natsume said, and raised his arms as his eyes started to glow.

Suddenly, the shadows seemed to rise and surround us, covering my eyes. There was a weird sensation in my stomach, like I was on a roller coaster. Then all was still.

The scent of dust and _old stuff_ assaulted my nose. I opened my eyes to more darkness. And a pair of creepy red eyes glowing at me.

"Eek! A rat!" I swung my backpack at it.

"Oof." A small flame suddenly appeared to reveal Natsume glaring at me. "Oops?" I mouthed.

"Its too dark in here. How are we supposed to see anything?" Ruka complained.

"By using these." Hotaru pulled out a circular tube out of her backpack and placed it around her forehead. It instantly lit up like a halo of light around her head.

She handed one to each of us. "Tap it once to turn it on, and twice to turn it of."

"You're a genius Hotaru!" With these we should have no problem with sight at least.

"It looks stupid. I don't need that anyway. I can see perfectly well in the dark." Natsume grumbled.

"Yes, but we need to see you, so put it on.' Hotaru told him, all but jamming one onto his head.

The halos illuminated the 'living room'. It had a bunch of furniture covered in white sheets, a foot of dust on everything and paintings of sinister looking people on the walls. The only thing it didn't have strangely was a window or two with moonlight streaming in.

"Well, this sure looks welcoming." Ruka commented.

"It makes me uneasy." I said." Which way are we supposed to go?"

"Obviously, that way." Natsume pointed." There's only one door, Polka."

"We need a plan." Hotaru said as I colored in embarrassment. She had already pulled out her palmtop. She pressed a button, and immediately a hologram of the entire house appeared.

"Amazing." I said, leaning in for a better look.

"The entire house is a maze, and probably booby trapped." Hotaru said. "I've already chalked out the shortest route to the front door. We should keep together at all times, and tread with caution. If under any circumstances one of us gets separated," Here she gave me a pointed look, " We'll meet up at the largest kitchen, on the first floor. Okay?"

We all nodded. Moving across the room, we carefully stepped out of the door and into the hallway. It was even darker there if possible, and the faint sound of dripping water sounded in the distant.

We walked in silence, taking care not to touch anything. Usually, being in a haunted house would be the coolest thing to me, but the dark and quiet were starting to freak me out. I reached for Hotaru's hand for some comfort.

And grabbed Natsume's instead. I would have let go immediately, but his hand was warm and reassuring. His fingers gently curled around mine, so I figured that if he was okay with it, I didn't mind.

Then suddenly, Ruka-pyon sneezed loudly. He sneezed again, and stumbled back to hit a panel of the wall, which sunk in with an ominous groan. A loud fluttering noise came from above, like something had been disturbed, followed by creaking, and then silence. We looked at each other apprehensively.

"Did something happen?" I whispered. "Or is it okay to move?"

"Shh." Natsume said. " Don't you hear that?"

"I don't hear anything." But Ruka, Hotaru and Natsume all looked alarmed.

Then I heard it too. A far off rumbling noise, growing louder every second. Something was approaching.

Always the first to catch on, Natsume moaned quietly. "Don't tell me it's that classic booby trap. A huge rolling stone to flatten us. How clichéd."

"This is no time to be disappointed!" Ruka whispered furiously as we all backed away slowly.

"Yeah, you sound like Mikan." Hotaru said conversationally.

"Hotaru! This is not time to be so calm either!" I frowned at her.

The rumbling increased, and the trap finally appeared at the end of the hallway. It wasn't a huge ball of stone. Worse, it was a huge ball of gum. Chewing gum.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me." Natsume said in disbelief.

It could still flatten us though, and it was coming nearer, blocking the whole corridor.

"Run!"

I don't know who shouted that, but I don't think I ever ran faster in my entire life. The corridor we were in was long and twisted, with overhanging tapestries waiting to strangle us, and gaping holes in the floor. We tried dodging it by taking detours, even went down a flight of stairs, but somehow managed to land up in the main corridor again, with the ball gaining momentum behind us.

Finally, I ducked into a doorway on my right. Ruka-pyon followed, and we both sighed with relief when the ball rumbled past us.

"That- was close." I wheezed as I tried to catch my breath.

"Yeah." Ruka hardly looked tired. He paused for a moment, and then said in alarm." Wait, where are Hotaru and Natsume?"

We looked at each other in panic. We had been separated.

"Oh no, no, no! What are we going to do??" I said in utter despair.

"Calm down, Sakura!" Ruka grabbed my wrists and forced me to look at him. "Remember who we're talking about? They'll be fine."

He looked so sure that I started to feel a little better. "But how are we going to find them?"

"Hotaru told us to meet up at the largest kitchen on the first floor right? We'll find that, and they'll be waiting for us there, I'm sure."

"Y-Yeah." I looked around. We were in another corridor, narrower than the last. There was a door at the end of it, painted dark green. We started walking towards it.

"Thanks a lot Ruka-pyon! If you weren't here, I would have probably been too scared to do anything."

"I didn't do anything." Ruka-pyon said, looking strangely glum," The trap was my fault in the first place. Me and my weird, useless powers are just a burden to you on this mission."

"That's not true!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah, it is. Maybe I could be more helpful if I were a proper GrayNite."

I opened my mouth to protest, but stopped short. We had reached the green door, and it was covered in dark stains. Like, blood stains.

I looked apprehensively at Ruka. "That's the way we have to go?"

He nodded grimly and reached out to push the door. With a menacing groan, it swung open to reveal yet another dark room.

With hundreds of shining eyes turned towards us.

* * *

A/n- Tell me how you found the chapter! Feedback is really appreciated. Review please!


	13. SpellBound

**Disclaimer:- 1)**don't own these characters; I'm just borrowing them for my amusement and their embarrasment ;)

**2)** The lyrics used in this chapter are from the song 'Crush' by David Archuleta. And I obviously am not David

**A/N-** I've noticed a lot of people put this story on their alert or favourite list, but don't bother to leave a review. If you like this story enough to spend some of your precious time reading it, please spend a minute extra to leave me a review. It lets me know that I'm doing something right here.

Having said that, I'd like to thank the _awesome_ readers who_ did_ review. Thank you so much! I'm really busy right now, but your encouragement reminds me why I like writing this story.

So here's Chapter 12. The POV's go back and forth quite a bit, so pay close attention.

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**Spellbound**

Cats. As far as our eyes could see, the huge room was filled with cats, of all shapes, sizes, color, age, you name it. And all of them watching us with beady eyes.

I took a step forward in fascination. As soon as I moved, every feline was on its feet, snarling at us. Taking a look at all the pointy fangs, I jumped back to Ruka-pyon's side with a squeak.

"Wha- what do we do?" I asked him, unnerved by the animals' strange behavior. I had heard of guard dogs, but this was ridiculous.

"Welcome!" A breathy voice purred, drawing our attention to the center of the room. The cats seemed to part in deference, and in the middle of the clearing stood….

"Cat woman!" I exclaimed, pointing at her in wonder. There was no other way to describe her, really.

"Don't call me that!" The voice snapped with sudden harshness, and the cats around her yowled in response. She clapped her hands, and suddenly lights shone from every corner of the room.

In better lighting, I saw that she was very pretty, with bright green eyes, and strangely curled dark green hair, like a bad perm. She would have seemed like an ordinary girl, except for the cat ears peeking out of her hair, the prominent whiskers on her face and the green-haired cat's tail that was languidly being waved from side to side behind her back. She stood confidently with a hand on her hip, viewing us with amusement and just the slightest bit of anger at my comment in her eyes.

She surveyed us with those unnatural green eyes for a couple of more minutes, before announcing. " It has been a long time since new playthings last stumbled upon us. You shall be satisfyingly entertaining. My sisters and I welcome you."

"Who are you?" I demanded.

She gave me a smile that was creepier than anything else I had seen tonight. "My name is Sumire Shouda. But I am better known as Sphinx."

* * *

In all the confusion of that stupid ball of gum, I had gotten separated from those Idiots. This was definitely not good. Imai and Ruka can take care of themselves, but I wasn't so sure about Mikan.

Especially since there was something very wrong with this house.

I sighed to myself as I plodded along in the dark. How had it ended up like this?

_I waited until Naru had gotten rid of Mikan before jumping down to confront him. I grabbed his collar threateningly. "What in the name of the seven circles of hell is going _on_, old man?? What game are you playing, sending _her_ on a mission?"_

_He looked at me, defeat and anger in his eyes. "It was the Council's order, Natsume. From the higher ups themselves, personally asking for Mikan-chan."_

_My blood ran cold, despite Fire. "Why would they do that? Unless…." My eyes widened as the answer came to me. "I was right." I whispered in shock._

"_You figured it out, didn't you." Naru said, watching me bleakly._

My mouth thinned into a grim line as I set Fire to yet another unidentifiable _creature_ and plowed forward again. Ever since we entered this house, I had the feeling that there was someone besides us here. And I mean of the living variety. Plus, we were being watched. At least being separated from the others meant I could get to the bottom of this. It was far too dangerous to involve them.

I pried open a trap door, and descended the stairs to arrive in what looked like the basement. Only, I wasn't alone.

"Well, this a surprise! Didn't think we'd find you here, Natsume!"

* * *

"_You're_ the Sphinx?! But aren't you supposed to have the body of a lion and head of a woman?" I asked, bewildered.

"They told me you were stupid, but not this stupid." She said, giving me a scathing look. "Human stories are outdated, Nullifier. Besides I'm not THE sphinx, I'm a descendant of that infamous one."

"Wait a second," Ruka said, suddenly sounding sharp, " Who told you about Sakura? And how do you know she's a Nullifier?"

"Minor technicalities." Sumire waved his question aside. "Besides," she looked at me speculatively, "I can sense power, and I have not met as strong a Nullifier as her in nearly a century. Except one other."

Ruka-pyon looked even more surprised than I felt. I was a _strong _Nullifier? And there was another who was almost as strong, if not more? True, I still had a lot to learn about them, but Narumi sensei had made it clear that Nullifiers were rare, and strength among them even more so.

"Enough chitchat. I'm getting bored. Its time for some entertainment." Sumire said loudly. All the cats began to hiss in excitement.

"Uh, you'll ask us a riddle, we answer, and we can pass, right?" I hesitantly asked.

Sumire snorted. "Are you kidding me? That was the game they played back in the era of black and white television and no Internet. Oh no, what we have planned is _far_ more interesting."

The way she, and even her _cats_, smirked at me made me really, really uneasy.

* * *

_I had been suspicious ever since she had managed to nullify me. Her locket and the incident with Persona had only strengthened my conviction._

"_How is she related to _that person_?" I asked, my voice hollow._

"_She is Yuka Azumi's daughter." Narumi said._

_Yuka Azumi. The air seemed even colder than before. She was infamous among the Nite. The most powerful of Nullifiers known to Nite, with the ability to steal our powers, something close enough to the Unbecoming to frighten all of us. She had been on our side a generation before me, before the Conversion. Then she had been a revolutionary. But she had died 12 years ago. And now, Mikan, her daughter, was within the Council's control…._

_I made a split second decision._

"_Where is it? Her mission?"_

"_Huh? Wait- you can't possibly be thinking of joining Mikan-chan!" Narumi yelped._

"_Where?" I asked again firmly. _

_She was the daughter of one of our most famous enemies. She was probably going to one of the strongest Nullifiers born. She was targeted by the Council. But I was going to accompany her on her mission, because I was worried about her._

_I was a suicidal fool after all._

"What are you doing here?" I growled, trying to hide my surprise.

In front of me were a some of the most dangerous Nite, apart from the Council. Rui, the playful transvestite with the power of Curses. Hayate possessed by Wind and an idiotic expression. . Yakumo, Insect Brother, his head wrapped in bandages mysteriously. They were the strongest in BloodMagic, after me.

"We could ask you the same." Rui said in an affectionate tone. "You look so adorable too, with that halo around your head. Just like an angel!"

With a curse, I ripped Imai's contraption off my head. I had forgotten about it. I let my BloodMagic suffuse me, and bared my fangs at them. Yakumo never spoke, and Hayate was an imbecile, which left Rui as the spokesperson. I repeated my question.

"No need to be so hasty Natsume." Rui said, as Hayate muttered, "He's an annoying idiot."

"We're here on Duty of course." Rui said.

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "You were ordered here?"

"By E.S.P himself!" Hayate proclaimed proudly. Rui hit him on the head

"Yup, we'vebeen positioned here. Orders to observe a certain Nullifier going by the name of Mikan Sakura. Oh, and try and make things a little more difficult for her, just to see her worth."

I kept my face smooth, panic eating me away on the inside. E.S.P?!

"Seems like he's taken a special interest in her." Rui said casually, watching me through half-lidded eyes. "Can't say why though, seems ordinary to me." He shrugged, and then feigned surprise. "Oh, wait, she's your fiancé, isn't she?"

So the entire point of this mission was to test Mikan's strength. And I shuddered to think what would happen if she proved strong enough.

"I need to go." I said abruptly, turning to leave. They didn't try to stop me, but their laughter followed me till the top of the stairs.

What had Mikan gotten herself into??

* * *

"Karaoke?!" Ruka and me exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yup." Sumire said cheerfully. She had draped herself across a moss green couch, and was smiling at us in enjoyment. "We recently obtained a machine. It's quite simple. You sing a song well enough to charm me and my sisters, and we'll let you through."

"All right! I've been to karaoke joints many times back with my old friends, back when I lived with Grandpa!! This should be a cinch." I said confidently.

"Really?" Sumire drawled, her mischievous smirk widening. "Well, that's good. Because you see, my sisters and me have excellent hearing. And we do rarely come across anyone who can win us over. And if you _don't_…" her smile became pure evil, "Well, lets just say you'll be entertaining us for a far _longer_ period of time."

Something about her expression made me stop celebrating inside. I could tell she didn't like me. What if she purposely decided that I wasn't _entertaining_ enough?

Ruka-pyon placed a hand on my arm. "Let me do it." He told me quietly.

"But…" I started to protest. He looked at me meaningfully, cutting me off. "Trust me. I have a plan." He whispered, giving me a smile. He turned to meet Sphinx woman's stare.

"I'll sing for you." He told her.

"Will you now. " She mused. " You have the aura of Nite, but I sense you weren't always one. And," her eyes widened "You have Natsume-sama's BloodMagic! Aren't you an interesting surprise."

"Well, you're certainly cute enough, Lets see what you can do."

As I was processing the fact that she seemed to know Natsume a black cat sauntered over to Ruka-pyon with a mike in its mouth. He picked it up, and then turned to me. For some reason, he looked really embarrassed.

"Sakura. Would you please close your eyes?" he requested.

"What? Why?" I asked, puzzled.

He blushed, and said gruffly, "I'm going to be using my powers, and I'd rather you didn't witness it."

"But I want to see Ruka-pyon's powers! I'm sure it'll be awesome." I argued.

"Fine." He agreed, defeated. With that, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. I felt a change in his aura. Narumi sensei had been teaching me to sense Nite powers. I struggled not to nullify him instinctively. That would never do now.

He opened his eyes and I still couldn't see anything different about him.

So I was surprised to see that Sumire and all the cats were staring at him in rapt attention, as if they were mesmerized.

And then it happened.

Ruka-pyon flipped his hair and smirked. Suddenly his brilliant blue eyes and shining blonde hair, added to his debonair smile and confidant pose, made him sparkle with a brilliance that had all the females in the room (besides me) almost faint.

I gaped with open mouthed wonder at this change while all around me loud purring started, sounding amazingly like the shrieks of fan girls.

Ruka-pyon took a graceful bow. He walked up to Sumire, picked up her hand and gently kissed it. When he spoke, even his voice seemed deeper and more alluring.

"It is an honor to sing for you, Princess. I hope you will enjoy it."

Sumire was looking at him with such breathless awe that I wouldn't have been surprised to see hearts floating around her head. I guess since she was half cat, his charm worked on her as well.

The music from the karaoke machine started, and all the lights went out, save for a single spotlight focused on Ruka-pyon. He took another deep breath and began to sing.

_I hung up the phone tonight_

_Something happened for the first time_

_Deep inside_

_It was a rush_

_What a rush_

_'Cause the possibility_

_That you would ever feel the same way_

_About me_

_It's just too much_

_Just too much_

I listened to Ruka-pyon's velvet voice, spellbound. This had nothing to do with being a Nite. He was amazing! He was completely different from the shy, sweet Ruka-pyon I had come to know.

_Why do I keep running from the truth?_

_All I ever think about is you_

_You got me hypnotized_

_So mesmerized_

_And I've just got to know_

_Do you ever think?_

_When you're all alone_

_All that we could be?_

_Where this thing could go?_

_Am I crazy or falling in love?_

_Is it really just another crush?_

_Do you catch a breath?_

_When I look at you?_

_Are you holding back?_

_Like the way I do?_

_'Cause I'm trying, trying to walk away_

_But I know this crush ain't going_

_Away_

_Going away_

All the felines' were watching Ruka-pyon rapturously, waving around placards and boards with Ruka-pyon's name. Sumire herself held one that said 'I love you!'. Whoa. This was rapidly turning into a concert.

_Why do I keep running from the truth?_

_(Why do I keep running)_

_All I ever think about is you_

_(All I ever think about)_

_You got me hypnotized_

_(Hypnotized)_

_So mesmerized_

_(Mesmerized)_

_And I've just got to know_

_Do you ever think?_

_When you're all alone_

_All that we could be?_

_Where this thing could go?_

_Am I crazy or falling in love?_

_Is it really just another crush?_

_Do you catch a breath?_

_When I look at you?_

_Are you holding back?_

_Like the way I do?_

_'Cause I'm trying, trying to walk away_

_But I know this crush ain't going_

_Away_

_Going away_

_Going away_

_Going away_

As he finished Ruka-pyon pulled a rose out of nowhere, kissed it and threw it to the farthest corner of the room. Immediately all the cats jumped towards it, Sumire at their front. I watched with morbid fascination as they begun to fight for its position.

"Sakura, come ON!"

"Wha-?" Ruka-pyon grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the room. We didn't stop running till we were as far away from the cat room as possible.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed once we stopped, "Ruka-pyon, that was amazing!!"

" I wish you hadn't watched. It was weird and embarrassing." Ruka grumbled.

"No, it wasn't." I corrected him. "If it wasn't for your powers, we would still be stuck back there. So thank you!" I smiled at him.

"Sakura… " He looked touched. "Thanks."

"Come on, let's go find Hotaru and Natsume." I said, and stepping forward. "I'm sure they're waiting – aargh!"

"SAKURA!"

* * *

**A/N**- 1) E.S.P. , with reference to canon, is used to refer to the Elementary school principal. I'm using the same abbreviation, except here his name _is_ ESP.

Rui and co are the rest of the Dangerous Ability students, appearing in the Manga during the Middle School arc.

2) Remember what Narumi said about pheromones having weird effects on kids? I figured that once Ruka-pyon had grown up a bit, he would be able to control his powers better. To tell you the truth, I got my inspiration for this from Tamaki of Ouran High School Host Club XP

I'm not sure if the song works here, but I love it anyway, so I used it!

3) In case anybody got confused, Natsume's flash back (in italics) took place righ after Narumi sensei told Mikan that she had a mission (Chapter 10)

Hope you liked the chapter!


	14. Ending Unchanged

**Disclaimer- **If I owned Gakuen Alice.... should I write an essay on that?

* * *

**Chapter 13**

**Ending Unchanged**

The shaft, pit or whatever it was that I fell through, seemed to stretch on forever in the dark. Just as the feeling of falling was becoming familiar, it ended.

"Oof." I landed with a soft thud on something that was hard and soft at the same time. I cringed.

"The Dark help me, its raining Idiots." A muffled voice came from… under me?

"Natsume!" I jumped off of him, "I'm so sorry!"

He dusted himself." Well, at least you didn't fall on the floor."

I smiled at this, until he said," You'd have punched a hole right through it!"

"Natsume!" I growled. Then I threw my arms around him.

"Thank goodness! I was so worried when I found you and Hotaru missing. Ruka-pyon tried to reassure me, but then we found the Sphinx and…"

"Wait a second; you met Sumire?" He said sharply, while trying to extract himself from my arms.

"You know her?" I asked, finally stepping away from him.

"Unfortunately yes." He muttered distractedly. He was frowning in thought.

"Right, we need to get to the first floor, and finish this mission, fast." He finally said.

"But…" I peered in front of us, or was it behind? "I don't know about you, but I can't see anything! I lost my halo when I fell, and you don't seem to have yours either." Strangely, I wasn't worried. I had this weird feeling of security since I fell on Natsume. Like everything would be okay now. Weird.

He sighed, and lit up a fireball.

"Oh yea, cool!" I exclaimed. "I forgot you could do that."

He gave me a puzzled glance. "Only you would so easily forget that I'm a GrayNite." He said softly.

_Huh?_

We walked in silence, with Natsume leading the way. He seemed to be familiar with the house, and often led us through hidden shortcuts. In about ten minutes, we came upon a brightly lit room, which I assumed was the first floor kitchen, since Hotaru and Ruka were sitting at one of the tables.

"Hotaru!" I sang out and threw myself at her. She let me hug her, which meant she had been worried.

"Trust you to be the last to show up." Was all she said." I bet you slowed down Hyuuga-san too."

"Are you all right then Hotaru?" I asked anxiously.

"She is now." Ruka said grimly." Her arm was injured, and got worse because she tried to hide it from me. I could have healed it faster."

"Baka." Hotaru grumbled at him, as I gasped at the bandages on her arm. "Its nothing I tell you." She impatiently rubbed the tears off my face. "Now that we're all here, we should hurry on with the mission."

"This way." Natsume was already on the other side of the huge room, pushing open a door.

We exited into a wide corridor with red carpeting. Tapestries and painting hung on either side. At the end of it, a faint light shone, and something that smelt like… fog?

I approached the ornate metal doors, and hesitantly reached my hand up to grab a handle, and pushed. The door sprung open easily, surprising me. A cold breeze rushed in, but the tendrils of fog refused to cross the threshold. Creepy.

I looked at the others. I was puzzled to see them standing three feet away, looks of revulsion on their faces. "What's wrong?'

" This is where your real mission starts, Sakura." Ruka-pyon said sadly. "We cannot follow you out there."

"What? Why?!"

"The BloodMagic is too powerful." Natsume said impatiently. He looked annoyed and helpless.

"It's a burial ground for the Nite." Hotaru explained. "The pact between the Earth and Nite is very strong. None may intrude here; except you that is. You Nullify Earth, just like you Nullify our Blood."

"So, I have to go out there, _alone_?" I gulped. The fog was getting creepier by the second. They nodded grimly.

I guess there was no helping it. Hotaru explained the direction in which she thought the tomb was, and Ruka-pyon handed me a whistle. So I could call for help, he explained. I glanced at Natsume, and was startled to find he was gazing at me intently. Something about the look in his eyes made me very uncomfortable. He opened his mouth, and then paused.

"Go." Was all he said.

I turned and stepped out of the doorway, leaving my friends behind. The cold wind hit me sharply. I took a few wary steps in a random direction, and glanced back over my shoulder. I inhaled sharply. The doorway was no longer visible. I was surrounded by white mist, and very much alone.

Swallowing nervously, I moved forward again. Though I couldn't see anything but the white fog, for some reason, it seemed to swirl away from me, leaving a circle of about a foot around me.

Hesitantly, I walked in one direction, hoping it was the one Hotaru had told me about. The silence pressed down on me from all sides, and my energy seemed to gradually drain away. That must be the EarthMagic they were talking about; I couldn't feel it, but I was unconsciously fighting it.

After what felt like hours, a solid wall appeared in front of me. As I neared it, the mist cleared away, and I saw an elaborately carved stone arch, under which was a pair of solid stone doors. I reached towards them, and they eerily slid open upon my touch.

I stepped inside what seemed to be a musty chamber. Vague shapes dotted the walls, like some sort of statues I couldn't identify. Moonlight flittered through cracked glass panes of high windows and illuminated the center of the room, where a broad marble slab rose from the floor. This was the tomb, then.

I took a step towards it, and then stopped abruptly. A rustling sound filled the room, like skirts sweeping against the dead leaves on the floor, but too many to belong to one person.

A figure appeared in front of the coffin, silhouetted by the moonlight. A beautiful lady, wearing robes of an age long gone, with hair done up in complicated do, and allowed to fall back in waves. She held an elegant fan in one hand, and brought it up to her face.

"What a pretty young child." She whispered softly. "What's a flower bud like you doing in a place like this?"

" Eh… Uh… I, um…." I was struck dumb by her presence, and scrambled to get my thoughts in line. "I'm Mikan Sakura, Nullifier…" Wait, I wasn't supposed to tell her that!

"A Nullifier! How delightful! And such a young one too!" she exclaimed.

"Um, not to be rude or anything… but you're drooling." I pointed out, disconcerted.

"Oh ho ho ho ho!!" She laughed gaily, while lifting one long sleeve of her kimono to wipe her mouth.

"I am Hana Hime, the Flower Princess." She accompanied this with a regal bow of her head.

" And you, my dear little Mikan-flower, are intruding on my domain as an Eldest."

"Eldest?" I asked faintly. I was feeling sleepy all of a sudden.

"Yes." She was smiling, and gliding towards me. When she stepped out of the shadows, she seemed to become… less solid. " I belong to a time before the Nite, a time before Nullifiers, before Vampires and other animals came in plagues. A time when all was new, and flowers were found everywhere, and were a kingdom in their own right, not just _ornaments_."

She wasn't a GrayNite then. My powers were useless against her. So why did I not feel scared? Just so sleepy.

"Now I am forced to guard for long centuries, this cursed piece of glass that does nothing but sparkle in some light…"

She was right in front of me now, and I could dimly smell the sickly sweet scent of rotten flowers from her.

She lifted my head, and lowered hers to my face. "But occasionally, some foolish mortal think their Blood is strong enough, and I get a snack. Nothing like the old days of course." She seemed apologetic as she lowered her head to my throat. Was she going to suck my blood? "But I'm sure you're quite tasty."

I shut my eyes and waited. But all I felt was a gust of air on my face as the Hana Hime gasped and pulled back. Suddenly I had the nasty sensation of being jerked awake, even though I hadn't moved at all.

"What is this?" She said harshly. She tugged at my necklace, and it pulled against my neck roughly. We both looked down at my mother's locket. It was a blue stone, shaped like a water droplet, with a tiny ruby cross encased inside it. "How did you come by this?!"

"It was given to me by my mother." I said shakily. My body was giving a delayed response to the danger it had been in.

The Flower Princess threw back her head…. And laughed. I tried to edge away as her laughter continued, but she held me by the locket. "Do you know what this is, flower bud?" She finally asked between giggles. I shook my head. "This is a pendant awarded by the Eldest to an ancient family of Nullifiers, to signify a pact of peace and goodwill. Well, well, what do you know? I almost devoured one of the Favored!" She gave in to another demented bout of mirth.

I looked at her in confusion. But my mother had given me this locket, and she said it had come from her family. My mother hadn't known anything about Nullifiers… had she?

Finally, the Princess let go of my necklace and stopped laughing. She spread her skirts in a deep curtsy." My former conduct shames me, Favored. Ask, and you shall receive, for my Garden is yours, as my Earth is yours." She looked up at me expectantly. I was obviously supposed to follow ceremony here.

"It's cool." I told her. Oh well, best I could do.

She twitched her lips and seemed to consider being offended… or amused. Then she continued in the same formal tone. "Is there anything you wish for, so I may have the honor of granting it?"

"Well," I hesitated. Was it really all right to tell a mad semi-ghost what I wanted? " I'm looking for this red stone…."

At once, she straightened up, her face blank. She moved to the side, and pointed to the grave.

"Those who Seek may approach, if they hold the Key. The Guardian allows passage."

Right. So much for anything you wish. I moved towards the tombstone while keeping one eye on her. The top was beautifully decorated with strange carvings and letters I did not recognize.

In the center, within a wide circle, was an indent in the exact shape of my locket. It couldn't be… was that the Key?

Talk about convenient.

I reached for my locket, and pressed it into the stone slab. With a soft sigh, the slab slid open smoothly. Inside, on a bed of flowers, lay a blood red stone. I let out a relieved sigh, and plucked it out of the coffin.

Immediately, there was a piercing wail from all directions, and the tomb began to shake. I looked back to where the Hana Hime was standing. She was gradually disappearing, but she gave me a wicked smile as she did so. "Did I forget to tell you that you must speak the Spell first, or the place would destroy itself? Oh my."

What?!?!

Panicking, I spun around and ran out of the tomb. The mist outside was thinning rapidly, revealing gravestones, but I had no idea which direction the house lay in. The earth shook, and I shook with it. Abruptly I tripped and fell on a jagged end of a broken gravestone. I clutched my ankle in pain. Oh no, had I broken it?

Trying to blink away the tears, I attempted to think. I had to get inside the house; the only way out of this place was through there. How was I going to get there? I remembered the whistle Ruka-pyon had given me. I fished it out of my pocket. Hotaru said they couldn't come out here, but this was my only chance….

I took in a deep breath, and blew the whistle with all my might. But… no sound came out!! Was it broken?

I was just about to blow it a second time when I heard the flap of wings…. Large wings. Out of nowhere, a large eagle swooped down, grabbed my shoulders in its talons, and carried me shrieking towards the mansion.

I was majorly freaking out by the time it swung me through the doorway. To make matters worse, I landed on my broken ankle.

"OWW!"

"Mikan!" "Sakura!"

Strong hands grabbed my arms and pulled me upright. Through a haze of tears, I managed to see Natsume's face. "What's wrong Polka?"

"My ankle…" I groaned softly. The pain was receding a bit, but it still hurt badly.

"Idiot girl." I heard Natsume say softly. He bend down, tore a piece of his coat, and swiftly wrapped it around my foot in a tight bandage. His hands were surprisingly… gentle.

"What happened? Did you manage to find the stone? Your foot…" Ruka-pyon asked anxiously.

" I found the stone." I said distractedly, watching Natsume bind my ankle. I'd tell them the rest later. "I tripped over a broken gravestone…"

Hotaru shook her head. "Baka."

I sniffled. Hotaru looked at me, then said, " But you managed to complete the mission, and you're still alive." She gave me a small smile.

I beamed at her, overjoyed. Then a strong tremor shook the entire house. The others looked around, alarmed.

"The stone was booby trapped." I told them hurriedly. " I think this place might be coming down."

Ruka cursed softly as Hotaru and Natsume exchanged a glance.

"The barrier is falling." Hotaru said, frantically typing into her palmtop. " I think its receded till the first floor kitchen."

"Excellent, I can get us out from there." Natsume said. " Can you get up, Polka?"

I shrugged, and tried to stand up, placing my weight on my good leg. A wave of pain and dizziness hit me, and I toppled. A pair of arms caught me.

"Wha-?" Before I knew it, I had been picked of the ground. Heat enveloped me, and the warm smell of...

"Natsume!" I squeaked, flailing my arms. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"There's no time for your histrionics." He said, ignoring my outraged red face. He rushed to the kitchen, Hotaru and Ruka right behind him. We skidded into the kitchen, and immediately the shadows rose to envelop us. I shut my eyes as I felt my stomach being displaced.

The next thing I knew, we were out in the open, beyond the fence. The house rumbled behind us.A white-faced Narumi sensei was helping up Hotaru and Ruka-pyon.

I let out the breath I had been holding, and then realized that I was still tightly clutching the front of Natsume's coat. While being held by him.

!!!!

" Arrghh! Let go of me you pervert!" I cried, all but jumping out of his arms, my face burning. I stumbled and would have fallen if Narumi sensei hadn't caught me by the elbows. Natsume gave me a blank look.

"You were the one who was holding on so tight." He pointed out. "Oh my. Were you trying to take advantage of me?"

I stared, at a loss for words before screaming in frustration.

"Well," I heard Narumi sensei tell Ruka and Hotaru in the background." Looks like you accomplished the mission unharmed. Not to mention unchanged!"

* * *

**A/N-** Okay, totally uninspired chapter name. Will try and change it later. Also not sure about the ending... but I wanted this chapter to be up as soon as possible.

Thanks for all the reviews!! Hope you liked this chapter =)


	15. Unearth

**A/n-** Yes an update. Please refer to my profile for apologies and excuses for the long absence.

To all the readers who asked for updates. Thank you.

Happy Valentines Day!

* * *

**Chapter 14**

**UnEarth**

I pushed open the door quietly and slid into the room. Taking care not to trip or make too much noise, I made my way to the bed near the centre. There was no coffin, to my immense disappointment. Not a single cobweb hung anywhere.

Grabbing the sheets, I slowly pulled them back. Anticipation made it hard to breathe. What did Natsume look like when he was asleep?

Sheets rustled, and I was surprised to find the bed empty. I knew he didn't sleep much at night (he was a vampire, after all) but at this late hour, I expected him to be in his room at least. Disappointed, I turned to leave.

"Argh!"

I screamed involuntarily at the sudden appearance of the figure with bright red eyes. It took me a second to get my powers of speech back. "Natsume! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"You're the one sneaking around in my room, Polka." He pointed out. He stepped closer. "What do you think you're doing?"

I gulped. His eyes had faded, but there was still an unpleasant glint in them. "Well you see…" I hedged.

"Planning a sneak attack, were we?" Natsume smirked.

"N-no, of course not!" I tried to back way. Natsume reached over, and I shrieked.

"You lose tactical advantage when you let your enemy know your ticklish spots." Natsume said as I tried to wriggle away from his evil fingers.

"Alright, alright!" I had tears in my eyes from laughing too hard. "I learnt my lesson."

"What _did _you want though?" He asked curiously as he let his hands fall to his side.

I rubbed my sides, ruefully thinking of the time Hotaru had sold information about my ticklish spots to Natsume. "Oh, well, I had a bad dream and I woke up and had a sudden craving for Fluff Puffs!" Thinking of the delectable gooey candy, I immediately brightened."I want to, need to, _have _to get some. Oh please, can we, Natsume?"

Natsume stared at me incredulously." At this time of the night? Are you insane? Do you want cavities?"

"Oh, stop talking like my grandpa, Natsume." I grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the door. "You'd scold me far too much if I went alone, so it's better if I take you along right? Nothing can happen to me if you're there, and I'd even share some Fluff puffs!"

He had no answer to that, and we took a nice little walk to my favorite Fluff puff stand. They tasted even better that night, surprisingly.

* * *

The night was quiet, serene, and perfect. It was an hour before dawn, and in the absence of the moon, the stars glittered in all their glory. I was in the middle of performing my BloodEarth ritual.

I mixed a couple of drops of my blood with a few grains of my BirthSoil, and then buried it deep into the Earth.

Dusting my hands, I stood up and took a deep breath. Already I could feel the powers of the Earth rejuvenating me. Since I had been able to complete the ritual the last couple of months, my powers were in balance with me. And just in time, too. If I hadn't gotten my BirthSoil back….

Lost in thought, I began to walk back to house. The spot where I had performed the ritual was the street corner usually occupied by the local Fluff Puff seller. Mikan had dragged me there earlier in the night, and well, why look further? Besides, if some of the Blessings of the Earth reached the Fluff Puffs, Mikan would be happier. And not be so annoying.

I mean, who has a craving for Fluff Puffs at three in the morning?

Shaking my head, I stopped right outside, and looked up at place I shared with Mikan.

_Home._

Smiling softly to myself, I went inside.

* * *

A couple of days after I ambushed (or tried to ambush) Natsume at night, I was rushing into the house and bounding up the stairs with only one aim in my mind. I still couldn't believe what Hotaru had told me, and I had to confirm it.

"Natsume!" I called out urgently as I shrugged off my school bag and tried to climb through the window in the same go. I found him exactly where I expected him to be, sitting under the overhanging Sakura branches on the roof, watching the shadows lengthen as the sun set. He usually didn't leave school so early.

But of course, today was special.

Natsume turned to me and raised a quizzical brow, a faintly annoyed expression on his face. Annoyed, hah! _He_ had no right to be annoyed. I tried to get my breath back so I could tell him as much.

"Natsume! Is it true? Is what Ruka told me true? Is it your _BIRTHDAY_ today?

Slowly, grudgingly, he nodded.

I let out an excited shriek and threw myself at him."Happy birthday Natsume!" I wished him as I gave him a hug. Natsume choked in reply.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" I demanded as I finally let him go."I mean I didn't know till school was let out, and I asked Hotaru and Ruka if they had any plans and Ruka told me that we were not supposed to plan anything . I asked him what he meant and he said he had assumed that I knew that it was your birthday and that you liked spending it _alone_." I said in tones of utmost disbelief.

Natsume gave me that exasperated look , the one which makes me think he's calling me an idiot in his head."_Maybe _I didn't tell you because I did want to spend it by myself and telling you that I wanted to be alone shouldn't be necessary anymore. Of course I should have known that with you around there's no peace at all," he grumbled, then sighed. "Can't I just spend my birthday alone?" he almost pleaded.

I hoped the look on my face wasn't too incredulous."Natsume…" I took a deep breath, and made my tone as firm as I could."Spending your birthday alone is way too sad, even for a vampire. We are going to go out and do something fun, and we are going to celebrate in a proper manner!"

At this point, Natsume just looked resigned.

* * *

"I told you we should have taken the left turn!" I crossed my arms and huffed. Natsume stubbornly ignored me.

Seeing as I found out about Natsume's birthday so late, I couldn't even arrange for a present in time. I knew we had to make up for it by going somewhere spectacular to celebrate. Natsume complained incessantly while I planned, but the only condition I allowed him was that I wouldn't invite anyone else. I didn't get why he wouldn't want to meet the people he liked on his _birthday_, but as I was already picking the place, I decided not to argue.

I had decided that we would go to this carnival I had heard about. It was a little bit farther out into the country. I knew Natsume rarely got out, and carnivals were excellent places for fun and new experiences. The only problem was finding transport outside the city, which was solved when Natsume mentioned he knew how to drive. Was he good at everything?

Anyway, after a few minutes and one apology note to Narumi sensei (it wasn't like we were actually stealing his car. We'd return it as soon as we got back. He'd understand, right?) We were on our way.

And it should have been fine, except I'd forgotten a most important fact.

Vampires get confused at crossroads, especially at dusk.

Of all the myths, why did this one have to be true?

"If I'd known it would turn out like this, I would have brought a map or something…." I muttered.

"We're not lost!" Natsume snapped."We'll find that stupid carnival, even if it's the last act of my existence!"

"We would have already found it if we didn't take ages to decide which turn to take at every crossroad!"

"We might not have taken so long if you didn't argue every decision I made!"

I eyed his profile. He looked really annoyed, with his jaw clenched and everything. This was not going as planned. We were supposed to have fun.

"Hey, how old are you?" I asked. I was just blurting out the first thing that came to mind, but then realized that I was genuinely curious.

"Seventeen"

I frowned."No I mean how old do you turn_ today_? How many years have you spent on this earth, not how old you seem."

"I told you. I turn seventeen today. Seventeen years old." He pursed his lips.

"What?" I looked at him wide eyed. He was just a little older than me; this was unsettling." But shouldn't you be like a century old or something? You're a vampire!"

"A GrayNite." He corrected me automatically, and then shrugged."I'm young as compared to most of the Nite. Since Persona discovered me and brought me here as a baby, I don't really know much about my past. Till a few years ago, I didn't even know my birth date."

I bit my lip and looked away. He sounded bleak and tired and much older than any seventeen year old should. I wanted him to enjoy today, even more now that I knew he never really had happy memories linked to his birthday.

"Hey Natsume," I said softly, "You know why I dragged you out even though you wanted to be alone? Because it's your birthday, and its special, because you're here. It's an excuse to celebrate your existence, because that's special too. It's a chance for you and me to be grateful that we're here together today. " I smiled at him.

Natsume glanced at me, and then glanced back at the road. His face was unreadable, and he didn't say anything. We settled into a comfortable silence, until he said "We're here."

* * *

The carnival was a combination of loud, bright and obnoxious. It was so Mikan, I wondered if they mass produced her kind here.

We fished for balloon yoyos, ate a million different snacks from vendors, and Mikan got me a bat beanie from a rifle range game ("I've been playing these since I was four!"). She dragged me into the haunted house, the hall of mirrors, even the photo booth, where she actually pulled at my cheeks to make me smile. And somewhere in the mad rush, I actually started to enjoy myself.

Mostly I watched Mikan talk loudly about her experiences with carnivals and her grandpa and where we should go next. She haggled with the stall owners and helped lost kids and laughed too loudly at the scary rides, at all the wrong moments. Slowly, I started to understand why making new memories was important.

"Natsume!" I blinked and turned to Mikan, and blinked again. She was wearing a vibrant pink scarf."Look what I got! It was a great bargain." She grinned in delight and reached up to put her arms around my neck.

I inhaled sharply and tensed until I realized that she was wrapping something around my neck. I looked down to see that she had bought me a matching red scarf.

"I don't know what your immune system is like, but you should cover your neck." She smiled up at me, her hands lingering at the ends of the scarf. I watched her breath form little puffs in the November cold. Too close. She was … too close.

Feeling like my brain had turned to mush, I stepped back abruptly. She looked quizzical. Quickly I pointed up to a random direction."Let's go there next."

"The Ferris Wheel?"

I jammed my hand into my pocket and cursed my luck."Yes." _Where I can't escape you? _Spending 15 minutes in a cabin slowly rising up with the one person I didn't want too close to me. _What is _wrong_ with me?_

I retreated into an irritated silence as we waited in line and consequently got into a carriage. Something about this situation was bothering me. What was going on here? It was true that Mikan now counted among the few beings I found tolerable in this world; at times she was even entertaining. But why would I be nervous around her? Among all the possible threats in the world, why was her company the one that made me most apprehensive, and yet I actively seemed to seek it out? I needed to think things out.

"Wow." Mikan breathed softly.

I looked up. She had her nose and hands pressed against the glass windows of the compartment, watching the sky as we slowly rose up to meet. The lights from the carnival alternately cast shadows and lines on her.

I struggled inside. This was bad. I wasn't stupid, I'd read human books, I knew about attachment, and fondness and all those emotions which led to weakness and most of all I had learnt….

"Love is stupid."

Wait, that _wasn't_ supposed to slip out.

Mikan turned to me, puzzled, but didn't question the topic. She frowned. "I think love is one of the most wonderful things in the world."

I scoffed."Of course you do."

Her frown deepened."Tell me Natsume, exactly what is so wrong about two people who learn of happiness in life together? Because that's what it's about you know."

"Nothing in this world is perfect."

"Love is perfect Natsume."She said with utmost conviction."Its people who aren't perfect."

"So you're saying that only perfect people are allowed to fall in love?"

"Not at all. What I'm saying is, I think most people find love troublesome because they all unconsciously seek perfection. The perfect happiness and the perfect person to share it with. Truth is, when you accept a person, you accept them for all their faults, and it's the bad parts that make the good parts seem like true happiness, all because you're together, through it all."

She stared at me, more serious than I'd ever seen her."There's a certain kind of strength in being alone, but there's also strength in learning to live with someone else. Perfect love is not just about loving a person for who they are, it's loving a person despite who they are. For all they are."

I was saved the effort of replying as, with a loud bang, fireworks went off at one end of the carnival grounds, illuminating the sky. Mikan immediately turned to exclaim over them, and I was left to reel under the impact of her words, and the serious, dedicated side of her she had just shown me.

It was then that I knew. And I couldn't question it, couldn't regret it, for it had already become part of who I was. Like it was always there, a discovery waiting to be unearthed.

I was in love with Mikan Sakura.

* * *

_Review?_


	16. MidNite

**Disclaimer- **Don't own these characters.

* * *

**Chapter 15**

**MidNite**

After my first true birthday, things were different. I had always sensed that Mikan would bring change, but … at the risk of sounding sappy, my very existence had been redefined. It wasn't all rainbows and butterflies now either (thank the Dark).There was all the stuff I had learned during Mikan's mission, for example. She was the only daughter of infamous Yuka Azumi. Her powers were a both a potential threat and an invaluable asset to the Nite. The E.S.P. himself had wanted to scope out the extent of Mikan's power. If he decided to intervene in Mikan's life…. Could I protect her?

And that was what bothered me most. I had always been prepared to suffer anything the Council threw at me. My existence had always been their property; I had accepted that long ago. I knew that even with my BirthSoil, I was powerless before them. There was no escaping who I was.

But now, I felt a helplessness that I hadn't known since Persona beat all hope out of me. There was nothing I could do to save Mikan. I had no idea what they planned, what they wanted from her, from us. Each peaceful day that passed deepened my unease. The best I could do was hope that they would leave us alone.

Yeah, like that will happen.

* * *

November passed, and life went on. Each day was peaceful and ordinary. Well, as ordinary as it could be, what with me being a Nullifier and all. Classes in Alice Academy continued, with exams as well. I scraped through with Hotaru and Ruka's help. I continued extra classes with Narumi sensei, who thankfully blamed Natsume for the car theft, and let me off lightly. We did return it safely, after all.

One afternoon, during our usual training session, I sat in Narumi sensei's personal library. I was supposed to be reading yet another account of Nullifiers during the Dark Ages, but my mind decided to go on a little trip. I drifted between memories of forest picnics organized by Ruka, and late night math sessions that Hotaru forced me to attend, and snowball fights in the December cold .Natsume was no good at those. The snow just melted around him, since he was so hot. Uh...I mean… since his Fire was so hot, not him! Not that he's bad looking; I mean he is a vampire, so he is handsome in a dark way…

What exactly was I thinking about again?

I shook my head to clear it, and unfortunately Narumi sensei noticed."What's wrong Mikan-chan? You look awfully red."

Panicked, I blurted out the first thing that popped into my head."Hey, sensei, what is the Unbecoming?"

Immediately, Narumi sensei stiffened and turned towards me, a look of shock etched on his face."What? Where did you hear that?"

"Its written in this book…" I trailed off as he snatched it from my hands. Quickly he checked the windows and doors and then came back to me. He looked tense, and it scared me.

"Narumi sensei?"

He put a finger to his lips. I stayed quiet as he scanned the page I had opened."What have I done? I was supposed to monitor everything you learnt! If the Council finds out about this…" He seems to remember me and looked up.

"I didn't read it I swear! I just happened to glance at the term; I didn't actually read the page!"

He relaxed a little at that, though he still looked severe."Mikan…" He sighed and shook his head."No matter what you read, or what I teach you, you are still too young to appreciate the Midnight Council's power, or the true weight of Nite History. But let me tell you this. We Nullifiers may have gained a truce with them, but the Nite will never forget that we are their natural predators. They will only trust us so far. And the quickest, the _worst_, way to earn their displeasure is to talk about the Unbecoming. You must never learn about, talk about, even think about it. You have been given a chance, do NOT jeopardize it. You could put everything you love at risk."

I nodded quickly. I did not understand any of it, but the seriousness of the situation had been impressed upon me.

Narumi sensei and I never talked about it again. But the incident was unforgettable. I couldn't stop wondering. Exactly what was this 'Unbecoming'? I realized I couldn't ask Hotaru. She was a GrayNite too, and I did not know how she would react. Ruka was an anomaly, but still a GrayNite. Besides, Ruka-pyon might tell Narumi, 'for my own good'. And Natsume….

I didn't see Natsume very often after his birthday. I knew he wasn't angry with me, for he had actually thanked me for the trip to the carnival. I know, I was shocked too. He was there when we all hung out together, but he stopped coming to class again. Some nights he wouldn't be home at all, and the only explanation I got was 'Council work'. After all Natsume was the purest of the Nite. The Council held him in high regard, unlike a charity case like me. Now that I had learned Nite History, I felt a different kind of gap between us. It was different from before, when I thought we were 'human' and 'vampire'; it was the gap between a GrayNite and Nullifier. Maybe asking him about the Unbecoming wouldn't be the wisest move.

And then Christmas rolled around. My favorite time of the year. Or at least it used to be. Now the pretty white landscape, the lights, and the smell of baking, carols… everything reminded me of Grandpa, and my old life. Christmas had been a special time for us. It was a time for family, when Grandpa would pull out old albums to show me pictures of mom and dad, and tell me stories of how they were always watching me from the stars. And if I became sad, he would hug me, and told me that he loved me. Now he was gone too.

I sighed. It was no good. I would be lonely all day. The walk outside didn't help, and I doubted anything would. Wiping a tear, I decided to spend Christmas Eve in bed with some hot cocoa. And tomorrow, I could open the presents with Hotaru and Ruka and Natsume. Except Natsume wasn't at home again… I sighed, pushed open the door to the mansion and walked in.

"Hey", said Natsume.

I gaped. There he was sitting next to a large fir tree that hadn't been there before, illuminated by a fire from the fireplace that had the kind of color only his Fire did. There was something wrong with the scene before me, the most obvious thing being that he was here, when I knew there was a meeting and party he needed to attend.

"Wha-?" I closed my mouth, blinked a couple of times then tried again, "How-?"

"At least shut the door," He turned to poke the fire, like it needed it.

I pushed the door shut and stormed up to him, not even bothering to take of my coat."What are u doing here?" I demanded.

He looked up."Well, I thought… the tree needed to be decorated?"

I gave him a disbelieving look as I shrugged out of my coat."Seriously, Natsume! You're not supposed to be here! The meeting, the party…. The council!" I slumped next to him, "And what do you mean the tree needs to be decorated? If I had to pair you and holiday cheer, it would be for a Halloween festival!"

He shrugged and made to poke at the fire again."You've talked about it before. And Imai told me…" he was muttering, make it hard for me to hear him. Which itself was uncharacteristic."Look, do you want to be alone on Christmas Eve?" He gave me his stubborn, annoyed look.

I was taken aback."No, of course I don't."

And I realized that Natsume's unexpected company had warmed me more than the fire or any hot cocoa could."Well then, we're going to have a proper Christmas!" I grinned. I was all fired up now."I'm gonna bake! Natsume, what kind of cookies do you like?"

"Chocolate chip," he said, "Merry Christmas, Polka."

* * *

Christmas with Mikan was more fun than I had expected. She baked cookies, I ate the cookie dough. She covered the tree in tinsel and candles, I hung origami bats. When we watched _How the Grinch stole Christmas, _I commented that I could identify with the protagonist, and she wondered about the size of my heart.

I wanted this. Forever. I, who had neither right nor power to ever hope for anything of my own. I wanted to Mikan to stay by my side, not because the council had told her to, but of her own free will. I wanted to make her mine.

"Here you go, Natsume." She shoved a package covered in bats and polka dots (where did she find _that_?) "Your Christmas present!"

The bottom of my stomach fell."I didn't get you anything."

"Of course you did." She shook her head so her hair fell into her eyes, and I had a sudden urge to just reach over and tuck it into her ear."You got the tree. You got yourself. Best present I've gotten in years", she grinned. "Especially if I compare it to math textbook Hotaru gave me two years ago."She frowned, and launched into yet another memory.

I carefully unwrapped the box, wanting to preserve the paper. It was a camera. Startled, I looked up at Mikan.

"And then Grandpa agreed it was something I needed! Oh," she trailed off," You opened it! Do you like it?" She took it from my hand, leant over and snapped a picture."I love Polaroid cameras! Never had the patience to wait." She handed me the picture, excitement making her face shine."There! We can keep it forever. It's us."

And it was. She didn't know how much it meant, but it was. Someday, soon, I would ask her. For now, I held on to 'us'.

* * *

I paced the floor in frustration. I felt like a caged animal in a zoo. Trapped. Of course, the penguin suit I had on didn't help either. I growled and reached up to run a hand through my hair.

"Now, Natsume-kun," Narumi caught my hand and brought it back to my side,"Don't go ruining your hair. Do you know how much effort it took me to get it to look that way?"

"Yea, I was there." I scowled and he grinned."Why do we have to do this anyway?"

Narumi sighed."We've been over this a million times. It's New Year's Eve. The Midnight Council always holds a Ney year ball. You attend it every year, like you're _required_ to."

"They never invite Ruka." I knew he was better off that way, but the hypocrisy got to me."Moreover _she _has been asked to attend! Why?"

He was still smiling, but his eyes flashed."You angered them, Natsume. You didn't appear for the Christmas meeting. And that drew their attention to Mikan-chan as well. She is your fiancée after all, and as important a ward as you. It's obvious they'd want her there."

_Trapped._

Wheeling around, I shouted up the stairs, "We need to leave! Hurry up Polka, or I swear- "

_Guh_. That's all my mind was capable of. Mikan walked down the stairs, wearing a midnight blue cocktail dress. Pretty wasn't good enough. Beautiful was pale in comparison. Her eyes caught mine for just a second before Narumi bounded up to greet her, and my heart felt like it would jump out of my chest and run away screaming.

I dimly registered Narumi complimenting her and Imai smirking down at me. I looked down in an attempt to collect myself.

"Natsume?"

I glanced at her, praying my face was impassive. If I blushed, I would drown myself!

"How-"She faltered. I noticed the uncertainty in her voice, the hesitation in her posture."How do I look?"

_Like an enchantress._ Curse the extra people! Instead of replying I reached over and undid her hair clasp. Her breath hitched and I lingered for a second, just a second, to take in her scent.

"You look better with open hair." I said brusquely as I drew back. I tossed her the clasp."You're too old for pigtails, Pigtails."

"It was a bun, not pigtails," she mumbled distractedly.

I held her gaze for a second and then turned towards the door."Let's go. This is one party where being late is not fashionable."

We caused quite a commotion when we entered the party a little later. Usually Imai and I would be enough reason for the surreptitious glances and quiet whispers. This time however, it was Mikan who was the reason for the sudden rise of interest.

Narumi tapped my shoulder."Natsume-kun," he began.

"I know." Unconsciously I straightened my shoulders."Imai, I'm leaving her to you."

"Huh? Where are you going Natsume?" Mikan asked quietly. The atmosphere was affecting her already.

"I need to meet the higher ups." I grimaced distastefully." In the mean time, you should stick with Imai. Don't talk to _anyone_. If they speak to you, let Imai do the talking. Try not to draw attention to yourself."

I waited for her nod, and then pushed off into the crowd with Narumi. I ignored all greetings. Sometimes, having a reputation for a rude jerk really helped.

* * *

I stood in a corner with Hotaru, trying to ignore the chill up my spine that told me they were still staring. I didn't like this party. Not one bit.

"Would you just relax? You should have some wine too." Hotaru sipped her drink, impervious as ever.

I sniffed." Grandpa said drinking was bad for you."

She shrugged delicately."Its just wine." She spotted something over my shoulder and cursed under her breath."Oh no. More business men."

I turned to see a bunch of men trying to make their way over, their outfits vaguely mid eastern.

They seemed desperate to get Hotaru's attention.

"We should move. They're like parasites." But Hotaru barely took two steps forward before they surrounded her. The crowd grew and I was pushed outwards.

"Hey!" My protests were unheard over their clamors of praise and offers of money. I glared at them. How dare they take my precious Hotaru away? Besides, Natsume had told me to stay with her.

"It's no use." A dreamlike voice told me. I turned to see a girl with silvery grey hair and teal eyes. She was peering intently into her glass, so I wasn't sure if she was talking to me. I decided to be polite. "Excuse me?"

"You're excused." She said, and nothing more.

I tried again."Was it me you were just talking to?"

"Yes." She finally looked up. Her gaze was disconcerting, like she was looking past me.

"Its no use. Your plan to get her back."

I went slack jawed."Hotaru? But you don't even know…"

"Oh, but I do." She assured me. "And in five seconds, Imai is going to make her escape in the opposite direction."

Just then, I heard the sound of Hotaru's levitating duck scooter take off.

"She plans to lose them in the crowd." The weird girl continued."She also wishes you wouldn't do anything stupid, but has little hope for it. I'm Otanashi by the way. Otanashi Yura."

"How-"

"How do I know all this? Preconception BloodMagic. Pleased to meet you, Miss Nullifier." She curtsied.

"Oh! Uh, I'm Mikan Sakura." I offered my hand.

"I know." She took my hand, and stood still. Then with a sudden jerk she twirled me around, then dipped me.

"What the-" I stopped short when I saw the freaky look on Otanashi's face.

"You'll lose someone very dear to you."She whispered harshly."And it will be by your own hand."

"What are you saying?" I struggled, and she seemed to snap out of it.

"Ah, Sakura-san." She let me straighten. "I'm sorry, it seems you Nullified me. I could not complete my fortune." She caught the look on my face."Is everything all right?"

I backed away, and then turned and fled. "You cannot run away from fate." She called after me.

I continued my way through the party, only slowing down when I felt I had put enough distance between the two of us. Except now, I had lost Hotaru too. I had no idea where Natsume or Sensei were. I looked around, only to see unfamiliar faces staring back at me. Not wanting to talk to anyone, I made my escape through a nearby door.

A gentle breeze blew my hair. I was in a balcony. I walked over to the railing and leaned on my elbows, trying to cool down. If I stayed in one place, my friends were bound to find me. So all I had to do was stay out of trouble.

Someone coughed politely next to my ear. I jumped about a foot into the air in surprise, and had to clamp a hand over my mouth to stop my scream. There was a shadowy figure next to me. As I watched, it moved into the light from the doorway, revealing a handsome man with brown hair and sunglasses (at night?), wearing a long black leather coat.

"Good evening, Miss Sakura! This is most fortunate. I was hoping to get a chance to talk to you." He smiled in a super creepy way.

"Who are you?" I tensed, ready to back out of the door.

"Now, no need to be hasty." He moved to block my path." I just wanted to meet the strong Nullifier who has been causing _such_ ripples in our world." His voice dropped to a whisper."Your mother would have been so proud."

I inhaled sharply, "You knew my mother?"

"Better than most. And I know more about you than you or the Council suspects." His smile widened." Haven't you ever wondered? Your mother had to know about the Council's true nature to entrust you to them. Which meant she was a part of this world. And yet, no one ever mentions Yuka Azumi, the strongest Nullifier known to the Nite. Before you, of course." He inclined his head.

"She was a Nullifier?" My voice was a bare whisper.

"And more. There is much that has been hidden from you, Mikan. Everyone you know has been lying to you. But you must know the truth." He extended his hand; it held a folded slip of paper."I can provide answers, but it is not safe to talk here. When you are ready, call this number. You need to know."

With that he turned and left. I was left in a daze for a minute, before I realized that I had no idea who that person was. I stumbled back into the party after him.

"_And now presenting the evening's entertainment, the man you've all been waiting for- Reo Mouri!"_

The crowd cheered. I looked up to the stage at the front of the room and felt a jolt of shock. Even without his coat and shades, there was no mistaking him. He was the man from balcony. I had heard of Reo Mouri in school. He was a popular idol on the rise. Why did someone like him know my mother?

Still dazed, I leant against the wall, trying to clear my thoughts. I must have been lost for several minutes, for when I noticed the music next, Reo was taking a break, and a waltz was beginning to play.

"Miss Sakura." I turned to notice a handsome man next to me. He must have been in his early twenties. He bowed and held out a hand."Would you join me for this dance?"

"Uh, well," I hedged, trying to find a polite way to turn him down and not go red at the same time.

He looked up, "Surely you would not refuse the host of this party?" His smile was polite, but his eyes were cold and haughty.

The host? I took his hand and he led me to the middle of the dance floor. The host, which meant he was the head of the Midnight Council, the leader of all of the Nite! He was so young!

"Yes, Miss Sakura, I am the head of the Council. I am called E.S.P." He smiled indulgently at my shock."I must say, it is far too easy read you. How refreshing. I desired to meet you for some time now. "

For some reason, that sounded ominous. I mechanically went through a few steps of the dance. It was a blessing Narumi Sensei had insisted I learn.

"You dance quite well." His compliment startled me into looking up at him. Once I did, I couldn't avert my eyes. His cold gaze held me."Do you like your new home Miss Sakura?"

"Oh, yes. I'm very grateful. I have everything I need."

"That's so nice to hear." His tone was still conversational, but there was something underneath that I couldn't identify. "And Natsume?"

Of course. This was the person who had decided I must stay with Natsume."He's fine."

"Excellent. Natsume has always been troublesome. Did you know, he actually skipped out on our Christmas meeting? Insolent behavior. The Council insisted on punishing him. Some even talked of finding Persona, his old guardian."

I felt cold. That must have been the cruel masked man.

"But I decided to let him off. After all, young and foolish as he is, Natsume is a powerful GrayNite. And I heard he spent Christmas with you! Such kindness on his part. Really, the rest of the Nite should learn. Nullifiers are a part of us now, and need to be handled with care. Taking you in was a huge part of this strategy, you know. No matter what threat you posed, it is much wiser to have you on our side. You're indebted to us now. You would never do anything wrong, would you?" He smiled.

"And Natsume. His power was getting out of hand. With you around he is better controlled. It surprised me though, to hear that the two of you got along. Like a cat and dog getting along!" He laughed scornfully. "I hope dear, that you do not harbor any misconceptions on that front. To Natsume, you are even bigger a threat than the Council."

I stopped. My chest felt constricted."What are you talking about? Natsume is my friend!"

He looked at me pityingly."Clearly, Narumi hasn't been teaching you well. You're a Nullifier my dear. Our natural enemy. Of course, now we are far more civilized. We offered you a place in the world. Everything you have, you owe to the Nite. Still, your very nature defies it. You and Natsume can never be equals." He patted my cheek and I flinched away." Both of you are belong to us. Natsume is our most powerful weapon; but you, you can be much more dangerous. If you interfere with our plans for him, it will not end well, neither for him nor for you."

He bowed to me again."I hope you have a good year ahead of you." With one last cold smile, he left me in the middle of the dance floor.

I realized I was shaking. I made my way out of the dance floor and tried to find some place to sit down. The whole conversation was playing in my head. I had read Nite history, suffered the bullying at schools, the stares of the guests here at the party, yet nothing had disturbed me as much as that encounter. Underneath the polite speech, I could feel his loathing. He hated what I was, what I represented.

Did Natsume resent me too, for what happened between our ancestors? The thought filled me with inexplicable dread and loneliness.

No. Natsume, who knew what I was before me, who had helped me come to terms with it, wouldn't do that. He was the one person I could count on to see _me_, as the person I was. And even if he insulted me, or called me an idiot, it only told me that there were no walls between us.

We were just a girl and a boy, friends whose life was a little weird and mythical, that's all. I was not going to let E.S.P's words poison my relationship with Natsume.

I spotted an alcove behind a tapestry. Hoping to find respite from this weird party, I ducked into it. Unfortunately, I ran headlong into somebody.

"I'm sorry, I thought it was empty… Natsume?" I caught his elbow as he stumbled a little.

"Polka dots!" he said cheerfully.

Cheerfully? I regarded him with suspicion."You felling alright there?"

"Never been better." He hiccupped.

"Natsume, are you drunk?" I gave him a disapproving look.

"Nooo," He attempted to look innocent, and failed miserably.

I groaned."How much did you have?"

"One glass of wine." He muttered."Stupid Andou insisted."

One? And he was so badly affected? Absentmindedly I swatted away his hand as he tried to play with a strand of my hair. It didn't deter him. Guess BloodMagic didn't protect him from alcohol. I giggled, imagining Natsume's face when it would wear off.

For now, it was probably best to get him back home. If I could find Narumi Sensei, he could probably help.

"Hey, Natsume just stay here okay?" I said, gently pushing him onto the couch." I'll go find sensei. I'll get you a glass of water too, it'll probably help."

I turned to leave, but Natsume grabbed my arm."No. Stay." He demanded. He sounded like his normal, bossy self. He pulled me down next to him.

"Nat-su-me!" I complained.

"Don't leave me." He whispered. The pain in his voice paralyzed me. He leant back and put a hand over his eyes. If it wasn't for the fact that he was humming along to slow music drifting through the tapestry (which I knew he wouldn't be caught dead doing otherwise) I would have thought he wasn't drunk at all.

I shook my head and smiled. Looks like there was nothing I could do except wait until sensei or Hotaru found us. I leant back and contemplated all that had happened so far.

Soon I heard voices chanting the countdown to the New Year. It was midnight already? Voices rose in celebration, wishing each other.

"Happy New year Natsume!" I turned to greet him, and found him up close staring at me.

I couldn't breathe. With no warning, he leaned forward and kissed me.

For a few moments, I was lost in the gentle, warm kiss. Then my brain finally registered what was happening. I pulled away and stared at Natsume in shock. He stared back, an unusually serious look in his eyes. I looked down, blushing, unable to look at him.

"Happy birthday… Mikan."

With a jolt I looked back at him. My heart squeezed with happiness. How had he known that it was my birthday on the first of January?

And just like that he swayed and toppled forward, straight into my lap.

"Na- Natsume?" I exclaimed. Lifting his head, I saw that he had passed out. The drink finally got the better of him.

I gently lifted him off me and leaned him back on the couch. Then I realized something that made my heart beat even faster.

"_Mikan.."_

He had called me by my name. My ears seemed to tingle. I slowly lifted my trembling hand to my lips.

Outside, a new year and good luck were ushered in.

* * *

**A/N- **A nice long chapter, with much fluff and sinister happenings. Review if you liked it!


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